Mohsen Zanganeh, head of a committee in the Iranian Parliament, announced a preliminary agreement to allocate more than 110 hectares of land to Afghanistan in the Chabahar Free Zone, following talks with the Taliban government’s Minister of Industry and Commerce. The allocation comprises about 10 hectares on the coast and more than 100 hectares inside the Chabahar Free Zone, creating opportunities for commercial and investment activities by Afghan companies and businesspeople.
Zanganeh explained that the Taliban requested a larger area on the coast, but limited available land has prevented a final agreement, and talks are continuing. The two sides also discussed expanding industrial cooperation, establishing a joint industrial complex, and raising trade volume to $10 billion. The deal comes as the Chabahar Free Zone grows in importance for Afghanistan as an alternative to Pakistani ports, while US sanctions on Iran remain one of the main challenges to expanding trade and investment activity at the port.