Iran Begins 40-Kilometer Wall Construction Along Afghan Border at Dogharoun Free Zone
Iran has begun construction of a 40-kilometer wall in the Dogharoun Free Trade-Industrial Zone on the border with Afghanistan, at a cost of over 4 trillion rials. Iranian local officials say the wall is expected to be completed within the next year.
The project comes as Dogharoun, one of Iran’s five major economic customs points, holds strategic importance along the border with Afghanistan’s Herat province. Security and commercial infrastructure developments, such as this wall, are part of a comprehensive plan to develop the region. However, residents reportedly remain unaware of how the project might affect their daily lives and livelihoods.
According to Amin Shahgoli, Deputy Director of Engineering and Infrastructure at the Dogharoun Free Zone, in addition to the wall’s construction, phase one of the zone’s site development project is underway and has reached 30% completion. This section will be used for loading and unloading commercial goods. The total area of the Free Zone is designated at 8,700 hectares, of which only 2,000 hectares currently have official documentation.
Shahgoli noted that final approval of the region’s comprehensive development plan faces implementation challenges, but collaboration among local departments in Khorasan Razavi Province has led to progress.
Hussein Jamshidi, Governor of Taybad, has also urged for faster implementation of the comprehensive plan and emphasized that the project could create new development and economic opportunities, offering hope to residents of the border regions.
These developments are occurring amid criticism that the Taliban administration on the other side of the border has not presented any concrete development plans for managing the Islam Qala border crossing or improving related infrastructure. As a result, concerns are growing about the lack of coordination and the potential impact of these changes on Afghan traders and residents of Herat.
In addition to commercial opportunities, there is a pressing need for transparency in how financial resources are utilized and for the protection of local residents’ rights — an issue that has become increasingly sensitive under Taliban administration and its lack of legal legitimacy.
