Special Eurasia:

On May 25, 2025, the first freight train from Xi’an, China, arrived at the Aprin dry port, Iran, marking the official launch of a direct rail link between the two countries. This new logistical artery significantly reduces transit times (from 30–40 days by sea to roughly 15 days by land) yielding a direct impact on transportation costs.

Notably, a dry port is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport, operating as a centre for the transhipment of sea cargo to inland destinations. As a result, Chinese shipments transported via the new railway can effectively access international maritime routes. The railway is part of the broader East-West Corridor (still in the process of consolidation) which aims to link China with Iran, the Persian Gulf, Africa, and eventually Europe.

Geopolitical Scenario
The advantages of this new infrastructure are not merely commercial. The route also circumvents vulnerable maritime chokepoints often patrolled by hostile actors, offering Tehran and Beijing a potential tool to bypass sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. Moreover, the railway presents a resilient alternative to contested maritime bottlenecks. As evidenced by the recent 250% surge in shipping costs driven by instability in the Red Sea, key maritime chokepoints, such as the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca, and the Strait of Hormuz, are highly volatile and can severely disrupt global trade flows.

This overland corridor helps mitigate the risks of naval interdiction by Western forces that hamper Iranian trade, particularly the transport of crude oil by Tehran’s so-called “ghost ships.” Nevertheless, it is important to note that transporting hydrocarbons by rail involves considerable logistical challenges.

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