Updated

Iran International reported on October 17, 2026, that Iran risks losing ground as East-West trade routes through Central Asia and the Caucasus expand, with neighboring countries developing transport and digital networks that bypass Iranian territory. In response, Iranian officials at an Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan proposed expanding rail links to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan, boosting Iran-Kazakhstan freight cooperation, and developing Caspian Sea transport capacity to secure Iran's role as a regional transit hub.