In a post on his official X account on Monday, Mehrdad Bazrpash said that the strategic north-south railway Chabahar-Zahedan Railway will be linked to Shahid Beheshti Transit and International Port of Chabahar.

Back in May, Bazrpash said that India had been developing Chabahar on Iran’s southeastern coast along the Gulf of Oman to facilitate the transfer of goods to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries, as an alternative to the port of Karachi and Gwadar in rival Pakistan.

He made those remarks after signing a contract with India to develop the port of Chabahar.

Bazrpash had said he proposed a plan to Indian officials to launch a joint shipping company between Iran and India to expand transit routes in the region, adding, “This proposal will be officially presented soon.”