India Takes Over Iranian Port

The Government of India has taken over a section of the Chabahar Port, Iran, marking the first time the country has assumed operations of a port outside its territory.

In a statement, the India Shipping Ministry says the handover officially took place during the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting on December 24 2018, which saw the Indian, Iranian and Afghan delegations jointly opened the Indian SPV – India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ).

The official takeover was completed on December 29 2018 and the IPGCFZ received its first vessel on December 30.

The initial agreement to develop Chabahar Port came in the shape of a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) between India and Iran in 2015, which saw the two countries commit to improving logistical operations at the port over a 10-year period.

Chabahar Port, on the Gulf of Oman, is Iran’s only oceanic port and is divided into two separate five-berth ports – the Shahid Kalantari and the Shahid Beheshti – the IPGCFZ has taken over the latter.

In its statement, the India Shipping Ministry said: "This step marks the beginning of a long journey. India has written a history with its engagement in Chabahar and is now leading the regional cooperation and joint efforts to support land locked Afghanistan. This is the first time India will be operating a port outside its territories".