What changed
Kazakhstan and Iran signed the agreement on 28 June 2026 for a Kazakh transport and logistics terminal at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas. The agreement uses a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model for 27 years: two years are allocated for construction and 25 years for operation. According to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commercial operations are planned from the third year.
Key details
The planned terminal is positioned as infrastructure for the North–South transport corridor, linking Central Asia with the Persian Gulf and onward markets. The agreement is significant for cargo owners because it creates a future port node, not because a new transport service has already started operating.
What it means for logistics
For a specific shipment, route planners should still confirm carrier availability, rail and port handling, customs formalities, insurance and transit times before booking. The published agreement sets out the terminal project; it does not guarantee capacity, prices or a service schedule.
What to check in practice
- Check border queues and realistic alternate crossings before fixing the route.
- Add a time reserve to loading, transit and delivery windows.
- Update the customer when corridor capacity or infrastructure changes the estimate.
