Shafaq News/ The Iranian President, Hasan Rouhani, said on Tuesday that Iran’s new priority is linking the Gulf to the Mediterranean via “Iraqi railways”.

In his speech during a ceremonial for inaugurating more than 60 national projects, Rouhani said that five to eight railway projects will be inaugurated soon, indicating that the completion of the railway network in the southeast of the country will link Chabahar to the national network and, consequently, Qazvin, Astara, and Turkmenistan.

Rouhani said that Iran has fifteen trade zones in different border territories with a tendency to establish more zones given its favorable effect on the country’s economy.

Iran’s outgoing president laid emphasis upon linking Khorramshahr in the south of the country to Iraq’s Basra, “Iraq’s railways are connected with Syria’s railways. Our connection with Iraq means linking the Gulf with the Mediterranean. This shall be the priority of the upcoming governments.’