Crossroads Asia | Economy | Central Asia
The Iran-U.S. conflict has served to concentrate attention on the transport relationship between Kazakhstan and Iran, in development for years before the war began.
On June 16, 2026, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin and Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh met in Astana to discuss expanding transport cooperation.
The meeting produced specific outcomes: Iran allocated a plot at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas for a Kazakh logistics terminal, and Kazakhstan offered Iran port space, berths, and terminals at its Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk. Both sides reaffirmed a joint target of 20 million tonnes per year on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The meeting took place three and a half months into the Israeli-U.S. military campaign against Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz closed since March, which gave it a different character than a routine bilateral exchange. It also took place before the signing of a memorandum and talks, which may have paved an exit ramp for the United States from the conflict.
