Iran’s Chabahar port opens, allows India to bypass Pakistan on trade route to Afghanistan

India, Iran and Afghanistan have signed an agreement to grant preferential treatment and tariff reductions at Chabahar to Indian goods headed toward Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Written by Shubhajit Roy | New Delhi | Published: December 3, 2017 8:55 pm

Iran's Chabahar port opens, allows India to bypass Pakistan on trade route to Afghanistan

Chabahar: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani poses during the inauguration a newly built extension of the port of Chabaha, near the Pakistani border, on the Gulf of Oman, southeastern Iran, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. (Source: AP/PTI)

In a major step forward, the first phase of Iran’s Chabahar port, which holds significant strategic and economic importance for India, was launched on Sunday. The port allows India to bypass Pakistan and reach land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.