Iran’s Maritime Logistics Gap in Southern Ports

While ports in Asian and European countries are moving towards smartization, Iran, despite being at the heart of the Middle East’s energy and trade, continues to suffer from a lack of equipment for loading and unloading ships and containers. The situation is much more difficult for bulk carriers carrying essential goods, and this infrastructure weakness has led to increased demurrage and unloading delays, ultimately leading to higher finished goods prices.

Despite the private sector’s efforts to modernize and rebuild the shipping fleet, as long as the government, as the custodian of the country, does not provide serious financial and structural support to investors, and given the unbridled growth of the dollar, any efforts by the private sector will be fruitless.

Mr. Arfaei pointed out that from a development perspective, the blue economy, which emphasizes the sustainable use of domestic and international water areas, has not yet found its true place in Iran, and said: According to government statistics, the seas contribute about 50 percent to the gross domestic product of European countries, but only 2 percent in Iran.