“Iran–Rah”: an introduction to Iran’s initiative in international transportation

Transportation and logistics industries play a significant role in the advancement and evolution of any country’s economy on a local, national, and global level. Utilizing international transit opportunities can be a substantial source of national revenue and necessitates both hard and soft management strategies and proper planning of domestic resources. Iran, with its distinct land–sea access and historical and geo-economic significance, can fully leverage its specific advantages with national commitments. Due to intricate initiatives of adversaries or regional and international competitive measures to sideline Iran, transit isolation of the country has been a major focus in recent years. Developing Iran’s geo economic capacities, first, entails the need to complete its corridor chains, streamline border processes, and coordinate documentation and procedures among countries along transit routes. By early 2024, Iran’s first major international transit-oriented project, “Iran–Rah”, launched in 2023, expanded the country’s road freight transport volume by 14.7 million tons, a 58 percent increase from 2022. This would not have been achieved without the implementation of essential infrastructure measures, prioritization of efficient transportation projects, strategic diplomatic initiatives, and upgrade of interorganizational software development in logistics and transit. This article explores the trajectory taken by the “Iran–Rah” Initiative and discusses its implemented and required adjustments. It presents a mixed-method research design that integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze Iran’s transport infrastructure, policy environment, and geopolitical positioning within global and regional transit and logistics corridors.