Pakistan has opened six land routes to transport goods to Iran in an attempt to circumvent severe disruptions caused by the US blockade of Iranian ports and the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The decision was implemented immediately by an order of the Ministry of Commerce on April 25, allowing goods from third countries to pass through Pakistani territory and be transported by land to Iran.
The development coincides with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad, where he held talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir as part of mediation efforts to end the conflict between the United States and Iran.
The activation of the corridor comes as a direct response to the blockade that arose after the naval blockade imposed by the United States on Iranian ports, drastically limiting Tehran’s access to the sea. More than 3,000 containers remain stranded at Karachi port as ships are unable to take cargo.
At the same time, the cost of insuring ships due to the risk of war has increased significantly from about 0.12% of the ship’s value before the conflict to about 5%, making shipping economically unprofitable.
