Iran, Oman sign deal to create new shipping line

Iran and Oman have signed an agreement to establish a direct shipping line between the two countries.

Based on the agreement, a new shipping route will be created between Iran's southern port of Shahid Rajaee and the Omani port city of Sohar from next month.    

It will be used for the transit of agricultural products and perishable goods between the two countries. 

The agreement was signed between the chambers of commerce of Iran and Oman as well as an Iranian private sector shipping company.  This came during the visit by a large business delegation from Oman to Tehran, Iran’s media reported.  

“Three vessels, including two container ships and a bulk carrier, will start making trips between Shahid Rajaee and Sohar every 15 days in the initial phase,” said Abdolhossein Khedri, the CEO of Khedri Jahan Darya Shipping AG, the private Iranian company involved in the scheme.  “The trips could be held on a weekly basis if Iranian businesses welcome this scheme and in order to meet the demands of Iran’s export plans,” he told Tasnim news agency. 

Khedri further emphasized that the prospects for the removal of sanctions against Iran in light of the recent progress in talks between Iran and P5+1 have already made Oman become interested in promoting cooperation with Tehran in the area of shipping.

A major delegation comprising 60 businessmen arrived in Iran on April 24 for talks on expanding trade and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

The companies are operating in a variety of fields including agriculture, education, construction, infrastructure and tourism, in addition to food stuff, finance, banking and investment.

The value of the annual trade between Iran and Oman is believed to stand at above $890 million. The two countries plan to increase this to as much as $3 billion within the next three years.  

There are already speculations that Iran and Oman plan to use the new shipping line to promote trade across the region.

President Hassan Rouhani told reporters during a visit to Ashkhabad in early March that Iran and Turkmenistan are determined to activate a “south-to-north economic corridor” that starts with Oman, passes through Iran and leads to Uzbekistan through Turkmenistan.

What could further testify this plan are official comments that the newly-established Iran-Oman shipping route could be used to transit goods from Oman’s projected Duqum port to Iran’s Chabahar port which Iran plans to turn into a starting point for major exports to Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond through Indian investments.   

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