Iran Denies Ceding Land to Afghanistan at Chabahar Port

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei has denied reports that part of the country’s territory at Chabahar port has been handed over to Afghanistan, saying the issue arose from a misunderstanding.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, 20 Mizan, Baqaei said the spread of the issue in the media and on social networks was the result of a misinterpretation of remarks by Mohsen Zangeneh, a member of Iran’s parliament. He added that no official proposal on this matter has so far been presented to Afghanistan.

According to him, the main discussion concerned regional cooperation to provide landlocked countries with access to ports and open waters — a plan that, he said, has been implemented in parts of the world.

Baqaei said the issue had been raised on the sidelines of an official meeting attended by an Afghan minister, and that Iranian officials had said they would review it.

Earlier, Zangeneh had announced the allocation of more than 110 hectares of land at Chabahar port for Afghanistan. The remarks prompted reactions on social media in Iran.