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The port of Bandar Abbas is located at the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Gulf. Pic courtesy: @AllSourceA
New Delhi: A Pakistan naval vessel has been spotted at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. The navy vessel in question is said to be a submarine and it is stationed at the port for several days, revealed satellite imagery.
Some global news outlets suggests that Russia, Iran and India are reportedly working on a new shipping route so as to bypass the European sanctions. And the presence of Pakistan submarine in the area has perhaps worried Indian establishment, according to a report in Hindi daily Navbharat Times.
It is believed that Pakistan wants to maintain its hold on the waterway. So far, Iran’s choppy relations with Islamabad had dissuaded it from doing so.
GEOINT analysis of Iran’s major naval base, Bandar Abbas, on 18 January 2023, revealed the presence of at least two… t.co/KITKBz51fd
— ANI (@ANI) Jan 25, 2023
Iran in its desperation to bypass western sanctions has been looking for new partners. The fresh move is said to be the part of this new game plan. And that’s the reason Iran has allowed Pakistan’s navy vessels to use its ports.
Iran is seeking to leverage its geostrategic location for a transport hub between Asia, Russia and Europe. Back in 2002, India and Tehran has signed an agreement to set up International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting India and Russia through Iran and Azerbaijan. The new route would help bypass the Egyptian Suez Canal, said a Report in Nikkei Asia.
Which Pak submarine at Bandar Abbas
Threat to Indian interest?
India is reportedly engaged in trade with Russia through the port of Bandar Abbas. Following the outbreak of Ukraine-Russia war, India has reduced travel time through INSTC route in trading with Russia. This new trade route is 7,200-km long which has smartly bypassed Pakistan and Afghanistan. Till recently, India used to trade with Russia through Suez Canal which took 16,112-km for the goods to travel to Russia. With the expected increase in trade through this route, India’s worry is likely to increase if Pakistan naval vessels are given frequent access to the Iranian port.
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