Snapback Reinstates Past Sanctions, Not to Halt Port Operations: Iranian Minister

Iran’s transport minister as well as the head of the ministry’s ports authority said on Saturday that the reactivation of UN “snapback” sanctions adds no new restrictions and will not disrupt the country’s shipping and trade, stressing that port operations and essential imports continue without interruption.

Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh Malvajerd said the snapback mechanism “added no new clauses or articles against our country, it simply repeated all the existing oppressive sanctions,” IRNA reported.

“For years we have struggled with these sanctions, and from newborns and children to engineers, elites, athletes and nuclear scientists, everyone has been affected. The impact on people’s livelihoods cannot be denied,” she added.

Saeed Rasouli, managing director of the Ports and Maritime Organization, echoed the minister’s remarks, saying Iran’s ports are “continuously unloading and loading all types of goods,” and that the sanctions have no impact on daily operations. “The reality is that we have lived under oppressive sanctions for many years, even facing severe restrictions on access to medicine,” he said.

Rasouli added that the sanctions imposed “in violation of all international resolutions and protocols” have not weakened the determination of Iran’s ports sector. “With measures adopted at the highest levels of the state, there are no problems for exports, imports or the supply of essential goods. Iran’s ports are serving the country with full capacity,” he said.

Ongoing port activity
According to Rasouli, cargo handling operations for essential goods, oil shipments, containerized cargo, imports and exports are proceeding normally. He said port capacity expansion and investment attraction are also advancing. “This year, named the year of investment for production, we have made significant progress in this field,” he said.

Foreign delegations have also visited Iranian ports to explore cooperation, Rasouli added. “Recently we hosted several delegations from different countries to explore investment opportunities. Late last week, a high-ranking Azerbaijani delegation visited Shahid Rajaee Port, and negotiations on strengthening logistics cooperation, especially along the North-South corridor, are under way,” he said.

He noted that Iran is engaging extensively with neighboring states to boost exports, imports and transit through joint efforts with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and other transport sectors. Under the seventh development plan, Iran aims to increase transit volumes to 55 million tons by the end of the program. Last year, the country moved 17 million tons of goods, surpassing previous records. - Iran Daily