The capacity of Iran’s commercial maritime fleet has increased by 6,000 tons after a new cargo vessel joined the Caspian Sea fleet, an official at Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) said.
In the early days of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2024) and in line with promoting the quality and renovating and developing the maritime fleet of the country in the Caspian Sea, an equipped vessel with the capacity of transporting more than 6,000 tons of goods was joined the maritime fleet, the head of the PMO office of maritime affairs stated.
Allah-Morad Afifi said materializing the development of sea-based objectives and increasing the maritime fleet of the country in the Caspian Sea are seriously followed up by the Ports and Maritime Organization.
Turning to the increase in the capacity of transportation of cargo at the organization, he added that about 50 percent was added to the number of the country’s maritime fleet in the Caspian Sea last year (ended March 19, 2024).
Back in June 2023, PMO Head Ali-Akbar Safaei said 15 ships were added to the country’s trade maritime fleet in the Caspian Sea amid growing trade ties with Russia and other countries located to the north of Iran.
Safaei said that expanding Iran’s northern fleet of commercial vessels has become a priority for the country’s Transport and Urban Development Ministry, of which the PMO is a subsidiary.
“Given that the volume of trade with neighboring countries to the north is growing, the first priority for the ministry is to expand the fleet and to increase the capacity in the Caspian Sea,” the official said.
Safaei said Iran’s Caspian Sea merchant fleet will further expand in the near future with the arrival of new ships from the Volga River.
The announcement comes amid growing shipping activity in the Caspian Sea as Russia and other countries have ramped up their exports and imports via Iran and its southern ports.
Media reports and statements by Iranian authorities show there has been a major surge in trade via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a route that connects the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean to countries to the north of Iran via the Iranian road and rail transportation network.
Iran has created new infrastructure, including modern port operation systems, in its northern ports to both facilitate cargo transit via the INSTC and to increase its own exports to Russia and other countries.
Last month, Iran and Russia signed a contract to build a key railway along the Caspian Sea that would significantly boost trade via INSTC’s western branch.
