India Signs Ten-Year Agreement for Management of Chabahar Port

According to the Indian newspaper 'Economic Times', India will sign an agreement with the Islamic Republic on Monday, May 13, for the ten-year management of Chabahar Port. The report cites unnamed sources indicating that the Indian Minister of Shipping is likely to visit Iran for the signing of this agreement. According to Reuters, the Indian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India is developing part of Chabahar Port, located on the southeastern coast of Iran along the Gulf of Oman, to avoid using the rival Karachi Port in Pakistan for transporting goods to Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asian countries. The newspaper states that for India, Chabahar Port is a crucial connection to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the broader Eurasian region, allowing it to compete with Pakistan's Gwadar Port or China's 'Belt and Road Initiative'. 'Economic Times' notes that U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic have slowed the development of Chabahar Port. According to domestic media, currently, a maximum of 30% of Chabahar Port's capacity is utilized, leaving 70% of this capacity unused. There have been incidents reported including one death due to an explosion and fire on a vessel in Chabahar, the destruction of a bridge in the village of Tis in Chabahar following floods a month after its inauguration, and a missile strike on the petrochemical facility in Chabahar, which users claim was another 'hard revenge'. Additionally, Afghanistan has made a $35 million investment in Iran, with the Islamic Republic's ambassador in Kabul stating that this contract has 'special significance'. Air defense systems have been activated; missiles from the Revolutionary Guards hit the petrochemical facility in Chabahar. Protests over living conditions have occurred in several cities in Iran, with protesters in Shush chanting against the managers from Khuzestan to Tehran.