In international politics, geopolitics are not always stable. The interests, alliances and policies of nations change from time to time. The decision to abolish the ban exemption by US President Donald Trump administration on Chabahar port of Iran is part of this change. If seen, this step is not only part of the “maximum pressure policy” against Iran, but can also prove to be a deep injury for India’s strategic and economic plans.
Let us tell you that the deep-water Chabahar port located in Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran is very important for India. It is the closest Iranian port on the west coast of India as well as the opposition to the Gwadar port of Pakistan (where China has invested heavily). In 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran, there was a Chabahar agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan, under which an alternative route was created to reach Central Asia and Afghanistan. India signed a 10 -year agreement with Iran on May 13, 2024 to operate the Chabahar port. This was the first time India took the initiative to manage a foreign port. Since 2003, India had been proposing to work on the project to make up to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan. But this port developed at a slow development due to US sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program. A road and rail project called International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is also to be built under this entire project. The 7,200 km long project is proposed to transport freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
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India has so far provided equipment, cranes and essential machinery worth about $ 25 million there. Since 2018, India’s company India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has been operating this port. So far, more than 90,000 container traffic and more than 8.4 million tonnes of cargo have been handled from here. During the Kovid period, India sent 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 2000 tonnes of pulses to Afghanistan through this route. Thus Chabahar has not only a business center but also a powerful medium of India’s humanitarian diplomacy.
Let us remind you that the US had exempted the project from restrictions in 2018 to help Afghanistan in relief and development works. But now the Trump administration has abolished this exemption. From 29 September 2025, this discount will be removed and any transaction related to this port may apply for restrictions under Iran Freedom and Countter-Proliferation Act (IFCA). US State Department chief Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigot said that the Foreign Minister has withdrawn the ban for Afghanistan reconstruction and economic development in 2018. These restrictions will be effective from September 29. After this, people who operate Chabahar port or involved in related activities can come under the purview of restrictions.
If we discuss the effects of this decision of America on India, then let us tell you that Chabahar was the safest and effective option to reach Afghanistan and Central Asia for India. Due to Pakistan’s non -cooperative policy, India cannot reach there by direct road and railroad. Now if the restrictions are tight, then India’s connectivity strategy will get a deep setback. In addition, China has already developed Pakistan’s Gwadar port and is connecting it to Central Asia through “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” (CPEC). If India lags behind in Chabahar, it will prove to be a generosity for China and Pakistan directly. Also, in the last decade, relations between India and America have turned into a strategic partnership. But the decision of the ban on Chabahar shows that America’s Iran policy can hit India’s interests. India will now have to balance so that relations with both America and Iran do not deteriorate.
If seen, Chabahar is not just a port, but the center of strategic discourse for India. It is also an important part of “International North-South Transport Corridor”, which has the ability to bring India to Russia and Europe.
If you discuss the options available in India, then you tell that India will have to clarify from America that Chabahar is not only of Iran, but Afghanistan is an issue of reconstruction and regional stability. If India retreats from Chabahar, Afghanistan can once again be caught in China-Pakistan. In addition, India will have to further strengthen its relationship with Iran in view of energy security and strategic interests. Between sanctions, we have to find a way to maintain commercial and cultural cooperation. Also, India should raise the issue on forums such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS and UN that the ban on a strategic port is contrary to the sense of regional cooperation.
There is no doubt that this decision of America is a strategic shock for India, but it is not an end. The visionary point of which India has carried forward the Chabahar project in the last decade cannot be left easily. It is not just a port, but a symbol of India’s geopolitical freedom. India will now have to take further firm policy decisions. If Chabahar is allowed to pay the restrictions, it will directly benefit from China and Pakistan. But if India faces this challenge using diplomacy and strategic tact, this crisis can also turn into an opportunity. It can be said that the Chabahar port is not only on the land of Iran, but also on the strategic credit of India.