Tehran Turns to Central Asia for Trade as Conflict With U.S. Simmers

By Eurasianet - Oct 22, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT Iran's first vice president says trade with Tajikistan is up 50 percent since the conflict with the U.S. began, but Tajik figures show a 15 percent rise to $254 million in the first half of 2026. Iran's transport minister pitched Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a Chabahar-centered route to India, winning a Kazakh commitment to work on a transport agreement and agreeing to Uzbek working groups on transit snags. Iran and Turkmenistan agreed to raise cargo volume at the Sarakhs crossing, while Tehran promotes the soon-to-launch Chabahar-Zahedan railway as a trade link to Afghanistan. Iran is making a push to expand connectivity with Central Asian states, with high-level Iranian officials engaging their counterparts from four of the five regional states over the past week alone.On the sidelines of the October 19 Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Dushanbe, Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon talked trade with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. Without providing specific numbers, Aref claimed that bilateral volume had increased 50 percent since the start Tehran’s low-boil conflict with the United States. Tajik figures show trade volume experienced a roughly 15 percent increase during the first half of 2026, reaching $254 million.Rahmon stated that the two countries will look to “broaden the range of goods and products for bilateral trade and develop joint production ventures.”Earlier in October, Iranian Transport Minister Farzaneh Sadegh met with trade officials from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, touting the benefits of a north-south trade route centered on the Iranian port of Chabahar, which is designed to widen access to India and beyond. Sadegh also promoted a soon-to-launch Chabahar-Zahedan railway as an avenue for expanding trade with Afghanistan.The Iranian transport minister secured a commitment from Kazakh officials to work on a comprehensive transport and logistics cooperation agreement, according to Iranian media reports. Sadegh also announced that Iran and Uzbekistan would form working groups to troubleshoot overland transit issues, including border procedures.Meanwhile, Iranian and Turkmen officials agreed to implement procedures to increase overland cargo volume at the Sarakhs border crossing, the Iranian customs service reported. Both countries are interested in "increasing the volume of road and rail freight transport between Iran and Turkmenistan, simplifying customs procedures, and developing trade cooperation," according to the Iranian statement.By Eurasianet.orgMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comOil Prices Climb Above $110 as Middle East Supply Fears PersistRussia to Send First Diesel Tanker to U.S. on ThursdayAluminium Gives Up Its War Premium, Copper Stays Elevated Download The Free Oilprice App Today Back to homepage