Tehran Turns to Central Asia for Trade as Conflict With U.S. Simmers

Iran is actively seeking to bolster trade ties with Central Asian nations as tensions with the United States ease, according to high-ranking officials. During the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Dushanbe, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon about expanding bilateral commerce.

While Aref did not provide exact figures, he indicated that trade volume between the two countries had grown by 50 percent since the beginning of Iran's low-level conflict with the U.S. Tajik statistics reveal a 15 percent rise in trade volume during the first half of 2026, totaling $254 million. Rahmon expressed Iran's intent to diversify traded goods and establish joint production ventures with Tajikistan.

Earlier in October, Iranian Transport Minister Farzaneh Sadegh met with counterparts from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, highlighting the advantages of a north-south trade corridor centered on Iran's Chabahar port, which aims to enhance access to India and other destinations. Sadegh also championed the upcoming Chabahar-Zahedan railway as a means to bolster trade with Afghanistan.

The Iranian minister secured a pledge from Kazakh officials to collaborate on a comprehensive transport and logistics cooperation agreement, as reported by Iranian media. Additionally, Sadegh announced plans for Iran and Uzbekistan to set up working groups to address challenges in overland transit, such as border procedures. Meanwhile, Iranian and Turkmen officials agreed to adopt measures to increase overland cargo volumes at the Sarakhs border crossing, according to the Iranian customs service.

Both nations are keen on heightening road and rail freight traffic between Iran and Turkmenistan, streamlining customs procedures, and fostering trade cooperation.