PMO News Portal - Hossein Younesi stated: About 50 thousand tons of goods including grains, fuel, machinery and vehicles were transited from this port to other countries.

Stating that in these 9 months, about one and a half million tons of goods have been unloaded and loaded at the Anzali Port Complex, he added: During the mentioned period, 519 ships arrived and 3 thousand 489 TEU have been unloaded and loaded at this port.

Referring to the 51 percent growth in the export of goods at Anzali Port, the Director General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Gilan Province noted: More than 376 thousand tons of oil and non-oil goods were exported from the Anzali Port Complex, including petrochemicals, construction materials, minerals, concentrates and iron and steel.

PMO News Portal - The Kazakh ambassador to Iran, accompanied by an economic delegation from this country, visited various parts of Shahid Rajaee Port and called for further trade relations in the maritime and port sectors between this large commercial port and Kazakhstan.

Before visiting various parts of Shahid Rajaee Port, he emphasized on the development of port and maritime relations between the two countries in a one-hour meeting with Ismail Makizadeh, Deputy Maritime Director of the General Administration of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Hormozgan.

in this joint meeting, referring to Iran's trade and economic relations with Kazakhstan and the Aktau Port, The ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Iran said that Kazakh investors are ready to invest in the maritime and port sectors at Shahid Rajaee Port.

Kazakhstan is the largest country in the world that does not have access to open waters, for this reason, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the development of trade through its ports, especially Shahid Rajaee Port, are important as a reliable route for developing exports to facilitate transportation and transit between the two countries.

The Iran-India contract on phase 1 of Chabahar is worth $120 million, of which $85 million is being transferred, said Safaei late on Monday in a ceremony held to mark National Transportation Day.contracts for construction equipment in the port are also being exchanged.

Safaei further said that senior Russian government officials had come to Tehran to discuss the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). the government seeks to increase the involvement of the private sector in Iran’s port projects.

Safaee added that some 30 agreements and contracts had been signed with domestic and foreign private entities for projects at seven ports across the country.

PMO News Portal - The agreements were officially concluded during a ceremony celebrating National Transportation Day, themed "Advancing Maritime Transportation and Port Services: The Main Pillar of Marine-Based Development." The event featured notable attendees, including Transport and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh, PMO Head Ali Akbar Safaei, members of parliament, provincial governors, and representatives from coastal provinces, the private sector, and the maritime community.

These contracts are designed to bolster maritime trade capabilities, expand port facilities, and enhance services that are vital to Iran's broader economic goals. The initiatives aim to modernize infrastructure and increase private sector involvement, marking a significant step towards reinforcing Iran's role in regional and international maritime logistics.

Iran’s ports play a crucial role in its economic growth by serving as gateways for international trade and transit. The country’s strategic position along major shipping routes offers opportunities to utilize its maritime resources effectively for both imports and exports. Officials emphasize the necessity of private sector participation in fostering innovation and achieving sustainable development within port operations.

Recent initiatives include plans to upgrade key ports such as Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, and Imam Khomeini Port. These upgrades will focus on enhancing cargo handling capacity, automating port systems, and minimizing vessel turnaround times. Such advancements are intended to position Iranian ports as competitive centers for regional trade amid increasing competition from neighboring nations.

Additionally, the government is prioritizing the integration of ports with national rail and road networks to streamline logistics and improve efficiency. Enhanced connectivity is expected to reduce transportation costs, attract foreign investment, and create new economic opportunities in coastal regions.

Despite facing challenges from international sanctions, Iran is actively seeking multilateral partnerships and exploring innovative financing solutions to promote growth in the maritime sector. By cultivating a more dynamic and investor-friendly environment, the country aims to unlock the full potential of its ports and solidify its presence in the global shipping arena.

Speaking in a TV program, Ali-Akbar Safaei stated that 9.366 million tons of goods have been transited via Iranian ports during the eight-month period.

Iran is one of the countries with a special status in trade and transit relations due to its strategic location and special geography, as the country is the passage of several important international corridors.

Considering its geographical location, Iran can play a significant role in the transit of goods in the region and benefit a lot from its status in this due.

While Iran is combating the U.S. unilateral sanctions on its economy, the country’s ports as the major gates of exports and imports play a significant role in this battle. This role makes all-out support to ports and more development of them serious and vital.

Such necessity has led the government to define projects for more development of the ports and also take some measures to encourage investment making in ports, in addition to facilitating the loading and unloading of goods, especially basic commodities, there.

It is worth mentioning that Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization has defined a high number of projects to develop and improve the country’s ports, as the country aims to double the capacity of its ports in five years.

Ports and Maritime Organization has put it on the agenda to attract 300 trillion rials (about $600 million) of investment from the private sector in the country's ports by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (late March 2025).

On July 10, PMO Head Ali-Akbar Safaei said over the past few years the organization has managed to attract nearly $1.7 billion of foreign and domestic investment in the country’s ports and maritime sector.

He said some 620 trillion rials (about $1.24 billion) of domestic investment and $470 million of foreign investment have been attracted in the mentioned sectors.

“The attraction of this amount of private sector investment is significant compared to the total budget of the government in the sea and port sectors,” the official added.

According to the PMO head, regarding foreign investment, the organization has signed contracts with five countries including India which has so far invested $120 million in the port sector and $250 million in the rail, roads, and infrastructure sectors.

Referring to the growth of maritime trade in the country, Safaei continued: “Maritime trade increased from 215 million tons in [the Iranian calendar year] 1401 (2022-2023) to 237 million tons last year (ended on March 19, 2024).”

PMO News Portal - announcing the country's readiness to invest in Amirabad Port, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Tehran highlighted the measures taken to increase economic and trade development and increase the transit share.

Onalbayev continued: "We are identifying new markets for swap and transit of grains through Amirabad Port to Iran's neighboring countries, and if we achieve results, we will soon see developments in this field."

Referring to the size of Kazakhstan as the ninth largest country in the world and its vast lands for cultivating grains and oilseeds, the Kazakh ambassador said: "Given the availability of edible oil tanks in Amirabad Port, we are also willing to make investments in Amirabad Port in the field of transit and export of edible oil."

while explaining the performance and capacities of this port, Mohammad Ali Musapour Gorji, General Manager of Amirabad Ports and Maritime, stated: Amirabad Port, as a grain hub in the north of the country with appropriate infrastructure for the storage and warehousing of goods, including silos and warehouses, as well as the construction of production factories for basic commodities and grains by the private sector, has been able to establish a special position in the field of importing and transiting various goods in the Caspian Sea

PMO News Portal - Ali-Akbar Marzban said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 8th International Expo of Transportation, Logistics, and Related Industries in Tehran that Russia plans to launch a new cruise route on the Caspian Sea.This cruise route will visit all Caspian littoral states, namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Russia, he added.

According to the proposed plan by the Russian, cruise ships will depart from Astrakhan port in Russia and, after passing through the ports of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan, it will arrive at Anzali port in Iran, he added.Marzban said that Iran is taking the necessary measures for this plan and expresses hope that the Caspian Sea international cruise route will be launched soon.

According to Marzban, it is expected that this cruise route will be launched and the cruise ship will enter Iran in the next three months.

PMO News Portal - "National Transportation day is a valuable opportunity to appreciate the unparalleled services of the country's transportation sector activists and to shake their generous hands warmly. On this day, we honor the men and women who, with their relentless efforts, kept the wheels of the country's economy in motion on sea, land, and sky, and despite all the shortcomings and problems, kept the country's supply chain running. This day commemorates the efforts and sacrifice of our predecessors on December 16, 1983, the day when, with their participation and support, the country's transportation chain was preserved in critical conditions. Today we look forward to a brighter future in the maritime transportation industry, a future that will be shaped by relying on domestic capabilities and focusing on a sea-based economy."

This year, National Transport Day is being celebrated in a condition where the country has found a new horizon for development and progress in the field of maritime economy. New policies emphasize the sustainable exploitation of the country's maritime capacities, and their ultimate goal is economic growth and strengthening the gross domestic product. Maritime development, by taking advantage of Iran's exceptional location in the vicinity of open waters and the extensive capacities of the country's ports and seas, can act as a driving force for the national economy and enhance Iran's position in international trade and transit.

The Ports and Maritime Organization has been able to significantly increase the capacity of the country's commercial ports in the port and maritime sector by implementing development and infrastructure projects at the provincial, national and international levels. The nominal loading and unloading capacity of the country's commercial ports has reached 450 million tons. Currently, 444 projects with a credit of 182 Thousand Billion Toman are under study or implementation with investment from the organization and the private sector. The exploitation of these projects will significantly increase the operational capacity of the country's ports. Comprehensive measures have been taken in three main areas in the field of safety, security and protection of the marine environment. Increasing the capacity of the country's commercial fleet and improving its international ranking, along with the development of maritime passenger services, have yielded significant results.

One of the serious challenges of the maritime transport industry is the shortage of specialized human resources. In order to address this challenge, the Ports and Maritime Organization has taken fundamental steps to provide and train efficient human resources. These steps, while strengthening the specialized workforce, will pave the way for sustainable growth and development in this industry. With the support of continuous efforts and careful planning, this organization has been able to achieve significantly in recent years, including winning first place in the Shahid Rajaee Festival and a top position among the country's executive agencies.

PMO News Portal - "Currently, more than 150 trillion Tomans worth of major maritime and port projects in infrastructure and superstructures are under construction, a significant number of which have been put into operation," Safaei said.

He added that, "In the Caspian Sea, with the construction and purchase of new vessels, the country's commercial fleet has increased to 87 ships, which is very close to the statistics of the Russian fleet."

PMO News Portal - The minutes of the negotiations between the Ports and Maritime Organization and the Kyrgyz Republic on the establishment of a roadmap for transit cooperation between the two countries in order to facilitate transit and transportation through  Eurasian logistics centers in Shahid Rajaee Port were signed between Jalil Eslami; Member of the Executive Board and Deputy Director for Port and Economic Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization and Temirbek Artikov; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Ports and Maritime Organization and Kyrgyzstan to facilitate transit and establish an Eurasian logistics center in Shahid Rajaee Port was also signed by Hossein Abbasnejad; Director General of Ports and Maritime of Hormozgan Province and Deputy Director of the Investment Agency of Kyrgyzstan. The aim of this cooperation is to facilitate and expand transit between Iran and Kyrgyzstan and facilitate transportation and customs procedures between Iran and the Eurasian countries.

PMO News Portal -  Pointing out that sea-based development has various dimensions, one of which is maritime transport, Ali Akbar Marzban, deputy for maritime affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization stated: We also have various branches in the field of maritime transport, which include the commercial cargo fleet, the maritime service and support fleet, and the passenger transport fleet.

He continued: we have numerous islands and ports in the Persian Gulf and one of the policies of sea-based development is the expansion of maritime passenger lines to the extent needed in passenger transport, including residents and natives of the coastal strip, and domestic and foreign tourists.

The Deputy of Maritime Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization, emphasizing that countless steps have been taken in this direction, noted: The modernization of the maritime passenger transport fleet has been considered, and the Ports and Maritime Organization has publicly announced that those interested in investing in this field could benefit from the facilities provided from the funds managed by this organization in order to obtain long-term, interest-free loans of up to 80 percent of the ship's price.

Another measure is the development and expansion of sea passenger lines, and in this regard, Lengeh Port passenger line to the beautiful island of Kish has been launched, and the trip will take 3.5 hour.

The development of sea passenger lines between the country's ports and islands, especially the beautiful and diverse island of Boumusa, is being seriously pursued.

PMO News Portal - while pointing out that the share of Imam Khomeini Port in the unloading and loading of basic commodities in the country has reached 66 percent, Abutaleb Graylo, stated that In the first eight months of this year, Imam Khomeini Port Special Economic Zone hit eight percent growth mark by unloading and loading 31 million 800 thousand tons of goods.

Regarding the import of goods through Imam Khomeini Port Special Economic Zone during the first eight months of this year, Graylo explained: With a 20 percent progress in this regard, we were able to record more than 12 million 242 thousand tons of imported goods.

The Director General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Khuzestan Province added: Regarding the unloading and loading of container goods, there was a 47 percent growth (61 thousand 686 TEU), and Regarding the unloading of basic comoodities, a 24 percent growth was recorded, andmore than 9 million 694 thousand tons of goods were unloaded in the Imam Khomeini Port Special Economic Zone during the eight-month period.

PMO News Portal - Allahmorad Afifipour stated that Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) of ships based on the requirements of the Maritime Labor Convention (with a focus on issues related to crew wages and seafarers' labor contracts) has been implemented simultaneously from September 1 to November 30, 2024 in Iranian ports according to Indian Ocean, Paris and Tokyo MoUs

The Director General of Maritime Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization added: During this period, ship control and inspection officers in the country's ports were able to inspect 64 foreign ships and identify flaws related to seafarers' labor standards and upload them to the Indian Ocean Regional Memorandum of Understanding (IOCIS) database.

PMO News Portal - During the meeting, Erkinov highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s need for access to open seas, noting that Iranian commercial ports are vital for the landlocked nation’s economic and transit cooperation with Iran.

He emphasized that talks between the two countries regarding the development of Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port for transit and investment have been ongoing for some time.

The senior Kyrgyz diplomat confirmed his country’s readiness to collaborate with Iran on establishing a logistics zone at the port, which will facilitate exports, imports, and transit operations.

In response, Safaee expressed strong support for any investment in Iranian ports, particularly in special economic and free trade zones.

“With the investment of the Kyrgyz private sector in the northern and southern ports of Iran, the country’s traders and transit goods will enjoy appropriate discounts and facilities,” he said.

The delegation from Kyrgyzstan, which included senior officials from the transport, economy, and justice sectors, visited Iran for discussions on investing in logistics infrastructure to strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s position as a key partner in the region’s transportation and logistics networks and further enhance ties between the two nations.