Thousands of containers destined for Iran are stranded at Pakistani ports after getting stuck during the United States (US) war on Iran, with the number ranging between 13,000 and 18,000, a senior Iranian foreign ministry official has said.
Most of the containers are sitting at Karachi Port, though some have also been reported at Port Qasim and Gwadar. The cargo arrived from multiple countries, including China.
The goods belong to private sector traders who want them returned to Iran at the earliest so business operations can resume, essential items reach people, and industries keep running.
Iranian foreign ministry sources said that the containers carry essential goods, industrial machinery parts, automotive components, household appliances, agricultural and irrigation equipment, pesticides, mobile phone repair parts, heavy truck tyres, laptops, computers, food commodities and medical and surgical supplies. Most of it is meant for small and medium-sized industries.
When asked what steps Iran was taking to move such a large volume of cargo quickly, foreign ministry sources said that the sea route was being prioritised as the fastest available option.
One proposal involves shifting the containers to Gwadar first and then moving them by ship to Iran, but a senior Iranian official said that a direct transfer from Karachi to Chabahar would make more sense saving both time and cost.
Iranian officials expressed hope that with President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent visit to Pakistan, Pakistani authorities would help facilitate the early return of the containers as a practical sign of the two countries’ growing ties.
