Iran’s steel Silk Road breaks the maritime siege

By Piri · 2026-08-20

Iran is shifting trade overland via the China–Iran railway after a US maritime blockade in April 2026, with departures from Xi’an to Tehran rising to every 3–4 days and container costs up 40%. The route, part of the BRI’s 6th corridor, carries industrial goods westward, while the INSTC and ports like Bandar Abbas and Chabahar gain strategic importance in Eurasian trade.

Chapters

1. Rail Traffic Surges Between China and Iran
2. Rails Under Pressure
3. What Moves West
4. Strategic Volume and the BRI
5. The North-South Hinge
6. Pakistan's Frontier Economy
7. Iran's Inland Strategic Depth

Adapted from Hussein Askary.

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