EAM Jaishankar meets Iranian Urban Minister in Tehran, finalises agreement on Chabahar port

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to Tehran amid the Houthi militants’ attack in the Red Sea and the escalating tension in West Asia, finalised agreement on Chabahar port.

New Delhi:External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday met Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash and discussed the Chabahar port. Both sides exchanged views on the International North-South Transport Corridor. In fact, in a significant development, India and Iran reached a final agreement on the Chabahar port.

The new long-term agreement will replace the original contract, which will be now valid for 10 years and automatically extended. This is also India's first foreign port project, which will be in a way bolster India-Iran ties. Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to Tehran at a very crucial time amid the Houthi militants’ attack in the Red Sea and the escalating tension in West Asia.

In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister said, “Began my engagements in Tehran by meeting Minister of Roads and Urban Development @mehrdadbazrpash. Detailed and productive discussion on establishing a long-term cooperation framework with respect to the Chabahar port. Also exchanged views on the International North-South Transport Corridor."

The External Affairs Minister is also scheduled to meet the Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. Political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda.

According to sources, Jaishankar and Amir-Abdollahian are also likely to discuss boosting regional connectivity through the the Chabahar port. The port is located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast. It is being developed by India and Iran to boost connectivity and trade ties. Moreover, other global issues such as the Red Sea crisis are also expected to come up during the discussion.

The Chabahar port is also seen as a key hub of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project, which is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight in India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

Jaishankar's visit also comes soon after he spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken over the Iran-backed Houthi crisis. New Delhi’s role in the tensed situation is vital given its strong ties with Iran, which has backed the Houthi rebels and even the Hamas. Meanwhile, the US and the UK have already launched airstrikes targeting the Houthi positions in Yemen.

Jaishankar’s presence in Iran is vital as far as the impact of the Houthis attack on India is concerned. Amid the Houthi attack on commercial vessels, several ships bound for India have also come under attack. Most recently, the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew, came under drone attack off India’s west coast. Also, the Red Sea remains a significant trade route for India as goods shipped to the US East Coast, Europe and Middle East pass through it.

During the weekly media briefing last week, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in response to a media query on Red Sea crisis said, “India attaches very high importance to freedom of navigation, free movement of commercial shipping , we are looking at the situation...it is an evolving situation...we have Indian navy ships patrolling the area...so far we are not part of any multilateral initiatives or projects in the area...but we are looking at the unfolding situation very closely."