Advancing Iran to the Position of “Regional Port Power” through the Centrality of Chabahar Port in the Geopolitical Codes of the Islamic Republic

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hassan Noorali 1
abbas ahmadi 2
sahar Mousavi Nasab Rabori 3
1 Ph.D. Student in Political Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor in Political Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 M.A. in Political Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (Corresponding Author).
10.22034/rjnsq.2024.430133.1544
Abstract
In the triple interweaving of economy, territory, and geography, the geopolitics of ports shape maritime communication lines. Port geopolitical codes establish the relationship of territorial codes in economic policies and the global political economy. Port power is the main player in the seas, especially sea transportation, and has access and influence to the land of Eurasia, which was previously considered impenetrable, through ports. Iran’s Chabahar port, due to its location in the ocean, is regarded as a geopolitical hotspot for emerging powers, including China and India, to reach the fortress of Eurasia. The emerging port powers are trying to change the balance of power at the regional and global level in their favor by hegemony over this port. This article aims to investigate the geopolitical role of the Chabahar Port in promoting Iran to the position of regional port power based on the geopolitical theory of port power. The method of data collection in the current research is documentary and library method. The research results show that the importance of Chabahar Port next to Pakistan's Gwadar Port has shaped the geopolitical strategies of emerging powers for hegemony over Indian Ocean coastal ports. Iran should place Chabahar port as a central geopolitical code in the center of its foreign policies in order to become a regional port power.
Keywords
Port Power
Port Geopolitics
Chabahar Port
National Identity
Economy
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