Minister explained why Kazakhstan plans to lease land near the Strait of Hormuz

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan expects to secure additional access to the world's oceans through Iran. To achieve this, the country plans to lease 15 hectares of land at the Port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf coast to construct a cargo terminal. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.
According to the minister, the terminal's construction will be funded by private investors rather than the state budget.

"We plan to build a transshipment terminal there. This involves 15 hectares of land in the Port of Bandar Abbas. Budgetary funding is not provided; private funds will be used instead. As far as I know, the agreement is in its final stages, and the lease terms have been settled," Zhumangarin stated during a government briefing.

The minister explained that the project will allow Kazakhstan to utilize an existing railway route through Turkmenistan and Iran.

"The railway begins in Aktau, passes through Turkmenistan, and reaches the Persian Gulf. Bandar Abbas is home to a very large port. This provides Kazakhstan with direct access to the ocean—to India, East Africa, the Persian Gulf countries, and Southeast Asia. That is the objective; there is no other goal," he said.

According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan intends to export a wide range of goods via the new route, rather than being limited to specific product types.

"We plan to export everything. Currently, due to sanctions, many energy-related goods, metals, transformers, and other products are prohibited from entry or transit through Iran. We hope that once the agreement is signed, these avenues will open up. Then we will be able to supply goods both to Iran and through its territory to other countries," the minister noted.

At the same time, he acknowledged that sanctions against Iran remain one of the key factors of uncertainty.
If the project via Iran cannot be realized, Kazakhstan is considering an alternative route.

"In that case, we will build a railway through Afghanistan to reach the deep-water ports of Pakistan. This is actually more advantageous because it bypasses the Strait of Hormuz," Zhumangarin said.

According to him, Iran is also completing the construction of a railway to the Port of Chabahar, which is located outside the Strait of Hormuz.

"All ports located within the Strait of Hormuz become vulnerable under certain circumstances. I hope such a situation does not recur in the near future, but it is a serious wake-up call for us. Therefore, we are considering this option as well," the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.