Russia and Iran are building a trade route to circumvent sanctions
As the publication noted, both countries generate billions of dollars to speed up the delivery of goods by rivers and railways connected by the Caspian Sea. Vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show dozens of Russian and Iranian vessels, including some under sanctions, already ply the route.
It is noted that the goal of the Russian Federation and Iran is to protect commercial ties from Western interference and establish new ties with the rapidly growing giant economies of Asia.
the trade corridor will allow Russia and Iran to shorten these existing routes by thousands of kilometers.
As Marina Shagina, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, notes, Russia and Iran are investing up to $25 billion in the internal trade corridor to facilitate the movement of goods that Western countries want to stop.
“These two countries are playing cat-and-mouse. They are studying all loopholes for the transportation of prohibited products and weapons,” she emphasized.
Robert Malley, the Biden administration’s representative in Iran, notes that any new trade corridor requires close attention as part of an effort to end arms shipments between the countries.
It is noted that in addition to arms trade between countries, there are a number of economic reasons for the new transit route. which, a vessel plying the Don and Volga rivers, traditionally trade in energy carriers and agricultural goods. At the same time, Iran is the third largest importer of Russian grain, but its share may grow even more.
The countries announced a series of new trade terms covering goods such as turbines, polymers, medical drugs and auto parts. The Russian Federation also supplies nuclear fuel and components for the Iranian reactor in Bushehr.