Afghanistan to Return as Asia’s Trade Crossroads

DID Press: By planning a railway line through Afghanistan to China, Iran is seeking to revive Afghanistan’s role in regional trade after years of instability.

Iran is considering the construction of a railway passing through Afghanistan to China, which will provide the shortest land route between the two countries and restore Afghanistan’s historical role as Asia’s commercial crossroads.

The analytical platform Eurasia Review reported that Iranian railway officials are planning to build a rail line from Herat to Balkh, and then onward to the Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan, Afghanistan.

This route will directly connect Iran to China and strengthen trade relations between the two countries.
Currently, most trade between Iran and China is conducted via maritime routes, which are lengthy and time-consuming.

The project offers two major benefits for Afghanistan: generating transit revenues to invest in development projects, and creating employment opportunities during both the construction and operational phases of the railway.

After decades of instability, Afghanistan is once again drawing attention as a regional transit corridor, and this project can revive its historical role in Asian trade.

The corridor is also aligned with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, potentially enhancing trilateral economic cooperation between Iran, Afghanistan, and China.

However, traversing rugged terrain, security concerns, and heavy financial costs are among the main challenges facing the project’s implementation.