Tehran- In a move described as “historical that reflects the accelerated geopolitical and economic changes in the context of competition between East and West”, the Port of Abreen, located in the southwest of the capital, Tehran, received last week the first container train to start 15 days before eastern China, loaded with solar panels.
This step raised questions about the repercussions of the railway linking between the two countries, and whether it could constitute a substitute for Malaga, which is subject to American domination.
The new railway road reduces the time of transportation between China and Iran to half compared to the traditional maritime road, which takes about a month. This comes at a time when Western sanctions are escalating Tehran On the one hand and American restrictions on Beijing on the other hand.
Iran’s economic circles are counting on this new corridor to open new trade opportunities for the country.
This step is part of the initiative “Belt and road“It was launched by China about a decade with the aim of establishing a network of land and sea commercial roads between Asia and Europe, which reflects the political and economic importance of the project. The project was stopped after the outbreak of the Corona’s Koren (Kovid-19), before it was resumed last year, when the first train from the city of Qom, south of Tehran loaded with 50 containers of Iranian products to China.
Economic benefits
Rouh Allah Latifi, a spokesman for the International Relations and Trade Development Committee in the “Iranian House for Industry, Trade and Mines”, considers that the economic feasibility of the railway link is “large” for both Iran and China. It is not limited to saving time, but also includes reducing the costs related to maritime transport, including shipping fees, shipping and discharge expenses.
Speaking to Al -Jazeera Net, Lotifi adds that rail transport sings the parties to the participating parties for the multimedia transport system, as the train starts from stations in the depth of the lands of states, and it is handed over the load in other stations that may be far from the seaports.
The same spokesman notes that Iran has a strategic geographical location linking the economic forces in the East and West, providing it with an opportunity to enhance its revenues through the international corridor network. He also believes that the railway will constitute an alternative path to marine paths, which weakens the effectiveness of US sanctions, and enables Iran to export and import its goods away from American censorship.
Latifi adds that this new railway is “a link in the international corridor network”, as it connects the dry port of Abrain near Tehran with several strategic corridors, including the China-Europe Corridor, the East-Western Corridor, the North-South Corridor, as well as the Tehran-Corridor-Moscow.
Latifi concludes that this new iron corridor is not just a logistical project, but rather that transforms Iran from a country targeted by sanctions into a commercial center and a strategic bridge, which enhances its influence in the global economy by integrating it into the belt and road initiative, after years of economic isolation due to Western pressures.
Facing penalties
In the same context, the newspaper “Kihan”, which is close to the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, believes that the railway is between China Iran contributes to circumventing US maritime sanctions, by providing a bitter alternative to the Strait of Malaga, which is dominated by Western powers in global trade.
In a report entitled “A New World Trading Corridor”, the Persian newspaper newspaper wrote that Tehran resorted to this wild corridor as an effective logistical solution to thwart American pressure, especially after the US administration launched a campaign last March to intercept Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Malaga.
The newspaper added that the project is not limited to the transportation of oil, but rather is paved a fundamental shift in the global financial system, by strengthening trading in national currencies instead of the dollar, which it considers a major tool for US sanctions.
According to “Kayhan”, the railway between China and Iran is a vital arteries that connect Central Asia to the Indian Ocean, through its passage to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and gives countries like Russia Belarus and the Caucasus republics directly to the Gulf ports through Bandar Abbas Port Southern Iran. All of this enhances Tehran’s position as a regional center that cannot be ignored.
Port of Abrain Port
With the arrival of the first Chinese shipping train in the Iranian capital, Tehran has officially announced the operation of the dry port of Abrane as the first of its kind in the country. The Iranian media described this development as “strategic”, and comes within endeavors Iran To develop its infrastructure in the field of transport and logistics.
The dry port is held on an area of 700 hectares, and is characterized by its proximity to Imam Khomeini International Airport and its own economic zone. The port capacity is about 30 trains per day, with the possibility of holding up to 60% of the country’s imports, which contributes to reducing pressure on seaports, and reduces dependence on trucks to transport goods into the country.
But Iranian reports, including what was published by the Ilna News Agency, indicates a slow exploitation of the full capabilities of the port, as only two international trains have been received since last year.
Limited effect
A researcher in political economy, Muhammad Islami, considers that the railway link between Iran China It came as a result of the strategic treaty signed between the two countries for 25 years. It is acknowledged that China is the first beneficiary of this step, but at the same time it opens the door wide for Iran to take advantage of the project by integrating it into the belt and road initiative.
Speaking to Al -Jazeera Net, Islami explained that this project was launched about a decade, that is, before the American President’s administration began Donald Trump In his first term, the policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, and therefore cannot be directly linked to Iranian-Chinese efforts to circumvent US sanctions, despite the possibility of using this purpose at the present time.
The researcher notes that the railway is a suitable solution for the obstacles facing the movement of goods between China And Iran Through the East-West Corridor, especially in light of the escalation of tension between Pakistan India On the one hand, the competition between Beijing Wander On the other hand.
However, Islami believes that the project has not yet become a great influencing element in improving the Iranian economy or facing American pressure, including oil export, albeit appropriate to transport some oil products and derivatives from Iran to China.
Despite the great geopolitical ambitions, the Iranian researcher confirms that the impact of the project on the volume of trade exchange between the two countries is still “limited” at the present time, given the lack of regular train trips and the absence of a clear timetable. It stresses the need for a long -term plan that guarantees the bilateral flow of goods.
In the absence of a mutual commitment between Tehran Beijing to ensure a regular transportation movement via the railway, some people in Iran ask: Is the reason due to fear of intervention? Washington In obstructing the project? Or will the eastern trains really be the beginning of the end of the dominance of Western sanctions?