Afghanistan Peace Campaign
US strikes targeting infrastructure at Iran’s Chabahar Port have raised fresh concerns over Afghanistan’s access to regional trade, threatening one of the country’s main alternatives to Pakistani transit routes at a time when Kabul is seeking to reduce its dependence on Pakistan for overseas commerce.
US military strikes targeting infrastructure at Iran’s Chabahar Port have intensified concerns over Afghanistan’s external trade, with analysts warning that any prolonged disruption could undermine one of Kabul’s most important alternatives to Pakistani transit routes.
According to reports by The Times of India, the strikes damaged Chabahar’s vessel traffic control tower, disrupting operations at the strategic port that India has developed since 2016 to connect with Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan.
The attacks come amid escalating military exchanges between Washington and Tehran, adding uncertainty to commercial shipping and regional logistics across the Gulf.
For Afghanistan, the significance extends beyond India. Chabahar has become a cornerstone of efforts to diversify trade routes and reduce reliance on Pakistan, whose border closures, political tensions and recurring transit restrictions have repeatedly disrupted Afghan imports and exports over the past several years.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban administration have deteriorated over disputes involving border security, cross-border militancy and the deportation of Afghan migrants. The tensions have frequently spilled over into trade, with prolonged closures at key crossings such as Torkham and Spin Boldak, stricter customs procedures and periodic restrictions on Afghanistan transit goods, prompting Kabul to seek more reliable regional alternatives.
The Taliban administration has increasingly promoted Iran as a strategic trade partner. In November 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar urged Afghan traders to expand the use of Iranian ports, particularly Chabahar, as part of a broader policy to diversify Afghanistan’s trade corridors and reduce dependence on Pakistani transit.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) has stated that most Afghanistan imports and exports pass through Bandar Abbas, while Chabahar remains an important complementary gateway, particularly for trade with India.
According to World Bank data, Afghanistan exported goods worth $79.2 million in May 2026, with India accounting for 34 percent of total exports, making it the country’s largest export destination during the month. Maintaining uninterrupted access to Indian markets is considered critical for Afghanistan exports, particularly fresh and dried fruits, carpets, medicinal plants and minerals.
Economists also note that Chabahar provides Afghanistan with access not only to India but also to Gulf markets, East Africa and Southeast Asia, reducing the country’s dependence on a single transit corridor and strengthening its long-term trade resilience.
The latest strikes underscore how regional conflicts increasingly affect Afghanistan’s economy despite the country not being directly involved in the fighting. With Pakistan remaining an unreliable transit route and Iran’s transport infrastructure now facing growing security risks, Afghan traders are confronting renewed uncertainty over access to international markets.