Iran delays Rasht-Astara railway construction until late 2026

The signing of the executive contract for the construction of the Rasht–Astara railway section has been postponed to the end of 2026 due to military operations in the Middle East, Iran's Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said in an interview with Vedomosti newspaper, Report informs.

"They [the US and Israel] unleashed a war, and because of this war, it was not possible to carry out this plan. But the war will not make us completely shelve this plan. This year, hopefully, we can implement the executive part of the contract," the diplomat said.

According to him, the current situation only increases the importance of "redesigning the logistics infrastructure."

In 2023, Russia and Iran signed an agreement within the North–South project for the joint construction of the 160-kilometer Rasht–Astara road section, which is intended to provide a through passage to the Gulf ports. The total cost of the project is 1.6 billion euros. Moscow and Tehran will jointly finance the design, construction, and supply of goods and services.