Iran has given the green light to a railway that will open the way for Russian cargo to Persian Gulf ports. The agreement on the Rasht-Astra line was approved by the country's Supreme National Security Council. All 162 km of the site were transferred to the Russian financial services for surveys. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.
This is the missing link in the North-South corridor, which will connect the railways of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. The project has been stalled since 2023, and this year it was slowed down by the war in Iran.
In the South Caucasus he has a competitor - the "Trump route" along the Armenia-Iran border, which they plan to transfer to American control.
The winner of the two projects is Azerbaijan: both routes pass through its territory. Russia, Iran and the United States compete for the transportation routes, and Baku gains additional leverage. This also explains his trusting, sometimes difficult tone in relations with Moscow.
Oleg Tsarev. Telegram and Max.