Iran and Afghanistan’s exchanges of trade via rail witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border trade and transit activity compared to the same period last year, Director General of Foreign Trade Affairs at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Shahria Naghizadeh stated.

Some 650,000 tons of goods were transported from Iran to neighboring Afghanistan via rail between March 21, 2025 and February 22, 2026, expandable to 750,000 tons by the yearend, he emphasized.

Rail links between the two neighbors have become increasingly important as Afghanistan seeks alternative trade routes and more cost-effective import channels, Naghizadeh underlined.

Earlier, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways has said that 70,000 tons of cargo has been transported from Iran to Afghanistan via rail between December 21, 2025 and January 22, 2026, the volume of which reached more than 100,000 tons between January 22 and February 22, 2026.

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