Navigation on the Caspian Sea is getting busier. Iran, blocked from its Persian Gulf ports by a maritime blockade, is turning to its northern coast. This route gives it access to Russia and is out of reach of the US Navy. Maritime data firm Windward found that in the six months after February 28, 2026, when Israeli-American attacks on Iran began, tanker and Russian cargo traffic off Iranian coasts rose 13%, from 208 to 235 vessels. Iranian vessels in Russian waters rose 7%, from 142 to 152.
Iran’s senior trade official said more than 30% of the country’s imports now pass through northern ports. Besides wheat, sunflower oil, and livestock feed, NBC reported in August that Russia has sent drone components and explosives to Iran via the Caspian. In January 2025, Putin and Iran’s president signed an agreement to strengthen defense cooperation. An American think tank president said Iran once helped Russia militarily, but since the start of the year, the reverse is true.
The Caspian is also growing because of the new “Middle Corridor,” which links Asia to Europe without passing through Russia. Western clients avoid routing goods through a sanctioned country. Traffic on the Middle Corridor rose from 1.5 million to 6 million tonnes in four years, though it is still 30 to 40 times smaller than the route through Russia.
Bypassing Russia also helps Caspian hydrocarbons. Instead of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium route to Novorossiysk, which is targeted by Ukrainian attacks, oil now goes by boat to Baku, then by train to Batumi in Georgia. This is two and a half times more expensive and carries smaller volumes, but it is a valuable backup. Soon, the Middle Corridor could also move critical minerals from Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, the world’s top uranium producer, to Europe.
Reference
Le Monde, “Face au blocus d’Ormuz, l’Iran mise sur la mer Caspienne,” published September 20, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/09/20/face-au-blocus-d-ormuz-l-iran-mise-sur-la-mer-caspienne_6778396_3234.html