The United States has granted India a six-month sanctions waiver on operations at Iran’s Chabahar Port.
This waiver came into effect on October 29.
The exemption is a turnaround from the U.S. State Department’s decision in September to revoke the previous waiver.
The waiver allows the supply of essential items like food grains and medical products to Afghanistan to continue through the port.
India’s Strategic Interest and History with Chabahar
India has been associated with the Chabahar port since 2005, when it first agreed with Iran to develop it.
In 2015, both sides signed an MoU to jointly develop the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar.
Chabahar is a deep-water port in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, offering easy and secure access for large cargo ships. It is the closest Iranian port to India.
The port is a major commercial hub intended to help India access markets in Afghanistan, Central Asian states, and Russia.
Chabahar is strategically located near the Chinese-developed Gwadar port in Pakistan.
In May 2016, India, Iran, and Afghanistan signed a trilateral agreement (the Chabahar Agreement) to establish the International Transport and Transit Corridor.
An Indian company, India Ports Global Ltd., took over operations of the port from December 24, 2018.
India has supplied equipment, including six mobile harbour cranes, worth $25 million.
Since taking over, the port has handled over 90,000 TEUs (container traffic) and over 8.4 million metric tons of cargo.
The port has been crucial for humanitarian assistance, facilitating the transfer of 2.5 million tons of wheat and 2,000 tons of pulses from India to Afghanistan.
