Shafaq News- Tehran/ Baghdad

Iran has activated alternative trade routes, including through Iraq, to move existing cargo and process new orders after disruptions affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the commercial corridor linking Iran to the UAE's Jebel Ali port, a senior Iranian trade official said on Friday.

Yahya Al-Eshaq, head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, stated that Iraqi routes were being used to help address challenges facing goods already located in Jebel Ali as well as new shipments requiring alternative transit channels.

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, Al-Eshaq said part of the disruption could be addressed through Iraq, while alternative routes through Karachi, India, and other regional ports were also under consideration. The official noted that roughly $12 billion worth of goods enter Iran's commercial cycle annually through the UAE and Jebel Ali, while total Iran-UAE trade reaches about $20 billion a year.

Recent disruptions have complicated the movement of both existing cargo and new orders, prompting Iranian authorities and businesses to explore alternative logistics corridors.

Al-Eshaq added that trade with Iraq remains largely unaffected, adding that bilateral exchanges reached approximately $12 billion last year. Excluding gas exports, trade this year is expected to total around $9 billion, with the decline largely attributed to lower Iranian gas exports.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced measures to enforce a maritime blockade on Iran. CENTCOM stated, earlier today, that it had rerouted 136 vessels and disrupted nine others since the measures were introduced on April 13. A day earlier, the command said US forces had intercepted an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that allegedly attempted to transport Iranian oil in violation of the restrictions. According to CENTCOM, the measures apply to vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas along both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.