India takes over operations of Chabahar port in Iran

India has taken over operations of the strategic Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran's southern coast. 

This is the first time India will be operating a port outside its territory. The Shipping Ministry in a statement in New Delhi today said that the Government of India took over the operations of a part of Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar, in Iran during the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting held there on December 24, 2018.

The Chabahar port in the



Sistan-Balochistan province in the energy-rich nation's southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port located at distance of around 80 km from Chabahar.

The Chabahar port is being considered as a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries, besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.