A number of economic analysts say that establishing a joint chamber among Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan could partially reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on Pakistan’s transit routes, but it will not entirely replace them. However, if this cooperation continues, it could help create a new degree of balance in regional trade. Analysts stress that high transportation costs, the absence of a reliable railway network, customs complications, banking sanctions, the lack of stable agreements, regional rivalries, and limited trust among the countries are among the challenges that may slow progress along this route.
Some economic experts told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the trilateral cooperation between Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan could create an alternative and reliable transit route and ease some of the political and commercial pressure imposed by Pakistan.
Mir Shaakir Yaqubi, one of the economic analysts, says the trilateral cooperation among Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan can provide a safe and alternative transit corridor and partially reduce Afghanistan’s dependence on Pakistan, though it will not fully replace Pakistan’s cheaper and geographically closer routes.
This analyst adds: “A joint chamber of commerce can strengthen Afghanistan’s trade by creating new markets and routes, but genuine progress depends on internal stability, a functional banking system, and the country’s economic policies. Therefore, this chamber can play a supporting role, not a decisive one. The main challenges include high transportation costs, the absence of a reliable railway system, customs problems, banking sanctions, and the lack of stable agreements among the three countries. Regional competition and incomplete trust may also slow the process.”
Azarkhsh Hafizi, another economic analyst, notes that this chamber represents an important means of enhancing engagement between traders and investors from Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. In his view, every trade corridor presents a new opportunity toward the wider world, but no country can replace another, as each has a distinct geographic position, and Pakistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan each play their own specific role.
This economic analyst adds: “We support the facilitation and acceleration of trade, not the closure of routes. However, Pakistan, contrary to its commitments under the World Trade Organization, the TIR Convention, and the Transit Rights Agreement, has blocked the routes. This move not only harms traders from Afghanistan, but also damages Pakistani manufacturers, as many factories that produced goods for Afghanistan’s market or relied on transiting through Afghanistan are now unable to operate.”
Analysts are welcoming the creation of the joint chamber at a time when, according to recent reports, Iranian border officials say that at least 2,500 Iranian freight trucks have been halted by the Taliban at the Islam Qala customs crossing in Herat. Esmail Pourabed, director of the Dogharoun Customs, said on Saturday, November 23, 2025, that Iranian freight trucks wait between a minimum of nine days and a maximum of fifteen days at the Herat border. According to him, more than 12,000 freight trucks entered Afghanistan from Iran in October 2023 (Aqrab 1402), but only 10,739 trucks traveled from Afghanistan into Iran in return. He emphasized that this imbalance has caused long lines and the halt of thousands of trucks at the border.
The Dogharoun Customs director has called on the Taliban to regulate the entry and exit of freight trucks on both sides of the border in a “balanced” manner. The Iranian official said that the restrictions imposed by the Taliban have created serious difficulties for Iranian drivers, who are forced to spend days at the Islam Qala customs with extremely limited facilities. Pourabed also stressed that Iran has implemented a “one-for-one” plan to manage the crisis, meaning that for every Afghan freight truck entering Iran, one Iranian truck will be allowed to depart toward Afghanistan.
This comes after Iranian media previously reported the establishment of a joint chamber among Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran aimed at strengthening North Khorasan’s trade ties with the two countries. The joint chamber is being established at a time when, following armed clashes and verbal tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, Pakistan has closed all its crossings to trade, transit, and movement of any kind.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the resumption of trade and reopening of the crossings depend on the Taliban ending cross-border terrorism. Reports estimate that the suspension of trade between the two sides causes about 2.5 million dollars in daily losses to traders in Afghanistan.
At the same time, the Taliban claim that to facilitate transit and the transfer of commercial goods, they will invest between 25 and 35 million dollars to purchase three charter aircraft. They assert that with the acquisition of these aircraft, transportation costs will decrease and Afghanistan’s exports, especially fresh and dried fruits, to global markets will increase.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
ایجاد اتاق مشترک افغانستان، ایران و اوزبیکستان؛ از حل بحران تجارت تا ایجاد معضل جدید
