New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) – Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on India to actively engage with the United States to facilitate the lifting of sanctions on the Chabahar port in Iran. Muttaqi, currently visiting India, emphasized the strategic importance of the port and expressed Afghanistan's desire for its optimal utilization. He stated that the issue of removing restrictions has been raised in discussions with the U.S., and he encouraged India to do the same.
The Chabahar port is located in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province on the southern coast. India is a major partner in the port's development and currently operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal. The port is strategically important, providing India with direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. It is located approximately 550 nautical miles (1,000 km) from Kandla Port in Gujarat.
In September 2025, the U.S. administration revoked the 2018 sanctions waiver that had allowed India to continue developing and operating the Chabahar port despite broader sanctions on Iran. The revocation of the waiver threatens to impede India's strategic and economic outreach in West and Central Asia.
During an interactive session with industry representatives in New Delhi, Muttaqi also advocated for an increase in the number of visas issued by India to Afghans. He emphasized that facilitating easier visa processes and increased flights between the two countries would boost trade, encourage medical tourism, and enhance people-to-people exchange. "You (India) issue visas, make the visa processes easier, flights come and go, there is no issue, passports are there, there is no issue, what is not there is visas, give visas," Muttaqi said. He specifically mentioned the need for more visas for Afghans seeking medical treatment in India.
India has invested nearly half of its allocated ₹400 crore (approximately $48 million USD) in the Chabahar project, signing an initial MoU with Iran in May 2015, followed by a trilateral agreement including Afghanistan in 2016. Muttaqi's visit to India, which aims to strengthen ties between the two nations, was made possible after the UN Security Council Committee temporarily lifted a travel ban, allowing him to undertake diplomatic engagements abroad.
Muttaqi highlighted the necessity for both India and Afghanistan to jointly engage with the U.S. to overcome obstacles and sanctions affecting the port. “Chabahar will be a good way… India and Afghanistan should try to remove obstacles, because the US has also put some sanctions. India and Afghanistan should have joint talks with the US. It is the need for both of us to use this route,” Muttaqi said on October 10.
