Iranian Official Says Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif Railway Will Connect Iran to Central Asia

Mahmoud Siadat, head of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said the Herat–Mazar-i-Sharif railway project will create a direct and lower-cost route for Iran, especially Khorasan Razavi province, to reach Central Asian markets.

The contract was signed with the participation of relevant Iranian and Afghan institutions in the presence of Iranian officials and the Taliban. Siadat stated that part of the financing will come from Afghanistan's mineral resources, though details on private sector participation remain unfinalized.

He described the project as a key geo-economic initiative that will connect western Afghanistan to the north and then to Central Asian countries. This would position Afghanistan as a link between China's rail network and Europe.

Siadat noted that Iran's current rail access to Central Asia through Turkmenistan faces limitations. The Afghanistan route offers an alternative that reduces time, costs, and dependence on that corridor. The development is also expected to strengthen Mashhad and nearby economic zones as transit hubs.