Iran is moving to ratify a long-delayed agreement governing the Caspian Sea, as Tehran seeks closer economic cooperation with neighbouring states while facing heightened security concerns and mounting pressure on its economy.
The government plans to submit the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea to parliament, eight years after Iran signed the agreement alongside Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the move followed “changes in the security environment” around the Caspian, according to an interview with state-run IRNA. It also comes ahead of Iran’s reported plans to host a meeting of the five Caspian littoral states next week.
Signed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, in 2018, the convention establishes a legal framework for the Caspian and includes a ban on armed forces from non-littoral states. It also regulates territorial waters, navigation, fisheries and access to natural resources.
Security concerns have intensified after Iran last month blamed Ukraine for an attack in the Caspian that it said caused an explosion aboard an Iranian commercial vessel, killing one sailor and injuring another.
Ukraine has acknowledged conducting long-range strikes in the Caspian, saying it targeted vessels transporting military cargo linked to Iran and Russia.
Iran is the only signatory that has not ratified the convention, which has faced criticism from some inside the country who fear it could weaken Tehran’s claims over the Caspian and its resources.
Gharibabadi sought to dismiss those concerns, saying ratification would have “no impact on the delimitation of the seabed and subsoil,” which would still require separate negotiations between neighbouring coastal states.
The government says ratification could also help expand economic cooperation and resolve outstanding legal issues among the five countries.
The push comes as Iran faces continued economic pressure and heightened tensions with the United States.
The Armenia-based Regional Center for Democracy and Security said ratification could provide Tehran with greater legal certainty and help preserve its partnership with Moscow, but noted that Iran may still seek to maintain negotiating leverage.
The issue also has broader implications for regional trade. The Caspian is central to the Middle Corridor, which connects Asia and Europe through Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye while bypassing Iran and Russia.
As alternative routes expand, closer cooperation with its Caspian neighbours could become increasingly important for Tehran as it seeks to protect its economic and strategic position in the region. Read more:
At least six people were killed and dozens injured in overnight Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s Belgorod region, while Russian missile and drone...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is “semi-negotiating” with Iran as uncertainty surrounds efforts to ease regional tensions....
Kyrgyzstan is facing fuel supply challenges after shipments of petroleum products from Russia and Belarus fell sharply in July, pushing prices higher ...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is increasingly penetrating Russia's air-defence network, as both sides stepped up overnight strikes on energy, logistics and port infrastructure.
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildings without power, as China shut ports and suspended transport services ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast.
Kyrgyzstan is facing fuel supply challenges after shipments of petroleum products from Russia and Belarus fell sharply in July, pushing prices higher and forcing the country to look for alternative suppliers.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that soaring fertiliser prices could threaten Afghanistan’s 2027 wheat harvest despite favourable growing conditions, appealing for $38.3 million to support farmers before planting.
Kazakhstan has released an Amur tiger into the wild for the first time in more than 70 years, marking the beginning of a long-term effort to restore the species to its historic range in Central Asia.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan remarked upon progress made towards normalising relations between Baku and Yerevan in a phone call on the first anniversary of the Washington peace summit.
Tourists may soon be able to view Kazakhstan’s tourist sites by drone. Officials are planning to trial flights of between five and 30 minutes over landmarks in the country, its Ministry of Transport said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment