Iran Looks to Caspian Sea as Alternative Trade Route

With Iran's southern ports affected by the US naval blockade, Tehran is looking for alternatives for exporting oil and importing goods.

The Caspian Sea is being considered as an alternative trade route for Iran as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz affect shipping.

The Caspian Sea on Iran's northern coast is one potential route to the outside world, Maziar Motamedi reported for Al Jazeera.

Recent diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to resolve the dispute between Iran and the United States have not produced a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Iran is seeking alternatives for trade as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue.

Maritime trade through the Caspian Sea, however, faces significant logistical challenges.

The Caspian Sea, the world's largest landlocked body of water, is shared by Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Shipping has become increasingly difficult because of declining water levels. 

In April, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen said Caspian water levels had fallen by about 2 meters (6.6 feet) since the 1990s.

The article cited projections that water levels could decline by another 8 to 21 meters (26 to 69 feet) by the end of the century. 

Shahram Fadakar, director general of Iran's Department of Environment's Office for Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Protection, said water levels had fallen by more than 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) annually over the previous two to three years, according to Al Jazeera.

Masoud Polmeh, secretary-general of the Shipping Association of Iran, said Iran's northern ports previously could accommodate vessels weighing up to 6,000 tonnes but can now handle vessels of about 4,000 tonnes because of the lower water levels.