US sanctions Iran's rail sector amid shift to overland trade
Briefing by News4U · First published
Washington sanctioned three Iranian railway firms on October 1, targeting Tehran's growing overland links with China and Central Asia after maritime routes were restricted.
The United States sanctioned three Iranian railway companies on October 1 as part of Operation Economic Outcast, citing their links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and their role in generating revenue for the state, DW English reported. [1]
Iran's rail network carried 44 million tons of freight in the year ending March 2026, up from 40 million tons the previous year, with authorities targeting 54 million tons this year, according to Shahriar Naghizadeh of Iran's railway authority. [1]