Huge Russian cargo ship docks at Iranian port after 21 years

A huge Russian cargo vessel has docked at a northern Iranian port for the first time in 21 years as the two countries seek to increase their transit cooperation as part of efforts to counter the American sanctions.

Kompozitor Gasanov, a Russian roll-on/roll-off (Ro Ro) vessel, had docked at the Iranian port of Noshahr on May 2, said a report by semi-official Mehr news agency on Wednesday. 

The report said that the ship had unloaded 66 Ro Ro trucks at Noshahr for road transit through Iran to the United Arab Emirates.

Kompozitor Gasanov, a 6,894-ton, 125.9-meter ship which is one of Russia’s largest Ro Ro vessels, is currently returning to the port of Olya in Russia’s Astrakhan region where it started its journey toward Iran a few weeks ago.

The last time a major Russian vessel had docked at Noshahr port was in 1991 when the Mercury unloaded its cargo in the port located in the central coast of the Caspian Sea.

Russia and Iran have expanded their trade ties in recent years in an effort to offset the economic impacts of American sanctions on both countries.

Experts say Russia will seek more Iranian assistance to battle fresh Western sanctions imposed on the country because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

MG