U.S. airstrikes on Iran appear to have damaged Chabahar port
US forces carried out a sixth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iranian targets, including a third round of strikes on Chabahar port on Iran's southeastern coast
A maritime traffic control tower at the Shahid Kalantari section of the Chabahar port complex collapsed after being struck, having already sustained damage in earlier strikes
The wider campaign also targeted bridges and other infrastructure in Iran's Hormozgan province, including routes near the Strait of Hormuz
The Shahid Kalantari facility that was hit is a separate, Iranian-controlled port complex distinct from the Shahid Beheshti Terminal that India operates within the larger Chabahar port
The strikes come against the backdrop of an already-lapsed US sanctions waiver that had permitted India's involvement at Chabahar
Chabahar Port — Two Terminals, One Complex
Chabahar, on Iran's Gulf of Oman coast, is not a single facility but two distinct port complexes: Shahid Kalantari, the older Iranian-built terminal (constructed 1982-83), and Shahid Beheshti, the deep-water container and multipurpose terminal developed and operated by India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) under a bilateral agreement. Understanding this distinction is essential, since news reports on "Chabahar" can refer to either facility, and only Shahid Beheshti carries direct Indian operational stakes.
Key Details
- India Ports Global Limited took over operations of the Shahid Beheshti Terminal in December 2018 — India's first instance of operating a port on foreign soil
- A 10-year long-term bilateral contract for equipping and operating Shahid Beheshti was signed between IPGL and Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation on May 13, 2024, with India committing roughly USD 120 million in equipment investment plus a further credit window of about USD 250 million
- Shahid Kalantari remains under full Iranian control and is not part of India's operational footprint
- Chabahar is located barely about 170 km from Pakistan's China-financed Gwadar port, giving it added strategic significance
The infrastructure damaged in the strikes — the traffic control tower — sits at Shahid Kalantari, the Iranian-run section, not at the India-operated Shahid Beheshti Terminal. This distinction is central to why Indian and international reporting on Chabahar can appear to diverge.
International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
The INSTC is a roughly 7,200-km multimodal transport corridor connecting India to Russia and Northern Europe via Iran, using sea, rail, and road links, agreed by India, Iran, and Russia in 2000. Chabahar's Shahid Beheshti Terminal is envisaged as the maritime anchor of the INSTC's southern route, intended to link Indian Ocean shipping to Central Asia and Afghanistan while bypassing Pakistan.
Key Details
- INSTC agreement signed in St. Petersburg in 2000 by India, Iran, and Russia; subsequently expanded to include Central Asian states
- Cargo landed at Chabahar is meant to move onward via the proposed Chabahar-Zahedan railway toward the Afghan border at Zaranj — a rail link Iran has yet to complete
- The corridor is positioned as a strategic alternative to the Suez Canal route for India-Russia-Europe trade
- Chabahar also serves as a channel for humanitarian and trade access to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia
Damage to any part of the Chabahar port complex, even the Iranian-run section, raises questions about the reliability of the INSTC's maritime gateway at a moment when India's future role at the port is already under review.
US Sanctions Waiver and India's Chabahar Dilemma
India's participation at Chabahar has historically depended on a US sanctions waiver issued under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act, 2012, which exempted Chabahar-related activity from broader US sanctions on Iran to support Afghanistan's reconstruction and connectivity. This waiver architecture has been progressively narrowed.
Key Details
- The original waiver was granted in 2018 to enable India's operation of the Shahid Beheshti Terminal
- The US revoked this exception in September 2025 but granted a conditional extension to allow India to wind down its position, with the waiver ultimately lapsing on April 26, 2026
- India has since prepaid its committed investment and withdrawn personnel from the port, and has been reported to be considering transferring its stake in the terminal to an Iranian entity
- Iran remains under a broader US sanctions regime dating to measures re-imposed after the 2018 US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
The strikes on Chabahar occur precisely when India's legal cover for involvement at the port has already expired, compounding the uncertainty over the project's future and India's continued access to the INSTC's southern anchor.
- Chabahar port comprises two terminals: Shahid Kalantari (Iranian-run, older) and Shahid Beheshti (India-operated since December 2018)
- 10-year India-Iran operating contract for Shahid Beheshti signed May 13, 2024; ~USD 120 million equipment investment plus ~USD 250 million credit line
- INSTC: ~7,200-km corridor agreed by India, Russia, and Iran in 2000
- US sanctions waiver for Chabahar lapsed on April 26, 2026, after being narrowed in September 2025
- Chabahar sits roughly 170 km from Pakistan's Gwadar port
- The strikes marked the sixth consecutive night and third round targeting the port specifically