Iran (IMNA) - The minister announced the figures as Iran began observing Transport Week, stressing that the government aims to restore the country’s role as a regional transit hub and logistics centre, with transport corridors placed high on the national agenda.
Over the past week, 2,000 airline seats were added, agreements with the private sector were signed in rail, road, and highway projects, and investment packages for the coming two months were introduced.
In a related development tied to the North–South International Corridor, Belarus launched a new container service linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, reducing delivery times to around two weeks.
Transport forms a core pillar of economic infrastructure, without which industrial and commercial growth is unattainable. The inclusion of Transport Day and Transport Week in Iran’s official calendar reflects the sector’s strategic importance.
Global population growth, rising production, and expanding international trade have elevated transport from a basic public service to a competitive strategic domain. Countries increasingly seek alternative routes and prioritize transit corridors, highlighting Iran’s historic and geographic position as a global trade crossroads.
Domestically, the importance of transport infrastructure is evident in highways, rail expansion, maritime logistics, aviation, and urban road systems. Recent years have brought improvements to intercity roads, the conversion of two-way roads into safer expressways, and continued rail development.
With 15 neighboring countries, Iran holds substantial trade potential that depends on active transport corridors; without them, such capacities remain largely theoretical.
Transport corridors also function as instruments of foreign policy, as infrastructure, ports, and logistics are essential to advancing diplomatic objectives. Iran’s geostrategic position allows transport to transform geography into economic opportunity.
In Iran’s foreign policy framework, transport is a key component of economic diplomacy. Forty-six years after the Islamic Revolution, significant progress has been made in building infrastructure to facilitate movement and trade.
Despite sanctions and economic challenges, Iran has sustained economic activity, pursued balanced development, and expanded transport networks. Post-revolution engineering expertise has enabled the country to independently execute major projects, demonstrating domestic technical capacity.
In rail transport, the network has expanded to 14,270 kilometers—three times its length four decades ago. Aviation has also seen growth in seat capacity despite sanctions limiting fleet expansion. Airports have been constructed in both major and minor cities, improving nationwide connectivity.
The maritime sector, which handles more than 90 percent of Iran’s imports and exports, has seen substantial development in ports, shipbuilding, and maintenance. The expansion of Shahid Rajaee and Chabahar ports highlights advances in handling ocean-going vessels. Transhipment has emerged as a key method for reducing costs and bypassing sanctions, enabling goods to move from Chinese ports to Iranian ports and be redistributed domestically in under 20 days.
Iranian engineering firms have applied domestic expertise to transport and civil projects abroad, including in Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS member states, creating jobs, retaining skilled professionals, and generating foreign exchange.
Since the revolution, Iran’s road network has grown from about 47,000 kilometers to 88,821 kilometers. Expressways expanded from 150 kilometers to more than 3,053 kilometers, a twentyfold increase.
Rail lines increased from 4,500 kilometers to 15,700 kilometers, extending service to previously underserved regions. Around 3,700 kilometers of rail are still under construction, with an estimated €10 billion required for completion.
In aviation, the fleet has grown from roughly 25 commercial aircraft before the revolution to about 150 currently in operation after 43 years of sanctions. The country now has more than 110 airports and over 200 heliports, ensuring that no region is more than two to three hours away from air transport, while carrying around 30 million passengers annually.
Maritime capacity has expanded significantly, with port throughput rising from 19 million tonnes in 1978 to 296 million tonnes today, representing a 14.5-fold increase.
Iran’s transit advantage—among the shortest and most cost-effective routes in the region—is reinforced by a 15,000-kilometre rail network connecting main, secondary, and branch lines. Rail development is guided by three strategic priorities: the North–South Corridor, the East–West Corridor, and improvements to transit infrastructure.
Overall, Iran’s transport sector has undergone a profound transformation over four decades, reflecting sustained planning, investment, and reliance on domestic engineering capabilities.
The integration of road, rail, aviation, and maritime systems has created a transport network capable of supporting domestic commerce, facilitating international trade, and maximizing Iran’s geographic position.
Transport projects have become a key indicator of national progress, showcasing the scientific and engineering capacity of Iranian professionals who have delivered major projects largely through domestic expertise.
Despite sanctions and periods of instability, collective national effort has sustained economic activity, moving Iran closer to the goals of economic justice and infrastructure development envisioned at the time of the revolution.
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