A new transit corridor between Pakistan and Iran was officially launched, marked by the dispatch of the first commercial shipment from Pakistan to Uzbekistan through Iranian territory, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Monday.

The development signals the operational start of a strategic trade route designed to strengthen regional connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia.

First shipment activates new transit route

According to IRNA, the inaugural cargo shipment departed from Pakistan en route to Uzbekistan, transiting through Iran as part of a newly activated overland logistics corridor.

The launch represents the first practical use of the route for commercial transit, underscoring efforts by regional states to expand trade infrastructure and diversify transport options.

Route linking Gwadar to Central Asia

The main corridor originates from the port of Gwadar in southern Pakistan and passes through Iranian territory before reaching Central Asian markets, with Uzbekistan identified as a key destination. The route is intended to provide a direct logistical link between South Asia and Central Asia, bypassing longer and more costly traditional transit pathways and offering a more efficient channel for commercial exchange.

The initiative aims to connect South Asia with Central Asian markets of approximately 70 million people, while also supporting broader regional trade expansion and economic integration.

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Implementing bilateral agreements

In October last year, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh Maloujerdi, announced that Tehran and Islamabad had reached a new agreement aimed at facilitating customs procedures and ensuring smoother truck movement between the two countries. The deal also includes plans to rehabilitate and modernize railway networks linking Iran and Pakistan. Maloujerdi explained that the cooperation focuses on two main pillars: streamlining customs operations to improve the movement of goods by road and implementing joint projects to upgrade and expand railway lines between the two neighbors.

She emphasized the importance of Iran-Pakistan relations in the fields of transport and transit, noting that both countries, thanks to their strategic geographic positions, are working on extensive joint programs that cover land, rail, and maritime transport.

According to the minister, the railway cooperation involves rehabilitating existing lines, while simplifying customs formalities and improving conditions for truck drivers on in-road transport. On the maritime side, efforts are being made to establish direct connections between Pakistan’s ports of Karachi and Gwadar and Iran’s Chabahar port.

At the time, Maloujerdi stressed that these measures would boost bilateral trade volumes, enhance regional transit corridors, and link Pakistan with China, facilitating connectivity between China and Europe through Pakistan and Iran.

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