Around 3,000 containers bound for Iran remain stranded at Karachi port amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Tehran to explore alternative land routes to sustain trade.
Ships meant to collect the cargo have not arrived, with uncertainty growing over when maritime access will resume as the US naval blockade tightens control over traffic linked to Iranian ports, reports Al Jazeera.
Analysts say the disruption reflects a broader US strategy to control, rather than halt, Iran’s trade flows.
“Iran is collapsing financially,” US President Donald Trump wrote. “They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash!”
The blockade has curtailed both exports and imports, increasing pressure on Iran’s economy.
“[Iran’s] storage reservoirs would fill quickly, some estimates suggest within a few weeks, forcing production shut-ins,” said analyst Javed Hassan.
“Export revenues, the state’s fiscal lifeline, would contract sharply,” he added.
However, Hassan noted Iran retains “resilient architecture” built over years of sanctions and holds millions of barrels of oil already at sea, which could sustain revenues temporarily.
To ease the disruption, Iranian and Pakistani officials are discussing a possible overland route across their 900km border, according to documents seen by Al Jazeera.
Under the proposal, Pakistani trucks would transport goods to the border, where Iranian carriers would take over.
Iran may also pay extra to extend deliveries deeper into its territory, despite higher costs and slower transit compared with shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz remains partially restricted rather than fully closed, with some vessels allowed through under conditions, including documentation or payments.
Reports suggest some ships have paid up to $2 million in tolls, sometimes in yuan or cryptocurrencies, reflecting Iran’s efforts to bypass sanctions.
Shipping costs have surged sharply due to the conflict.
“Before the conflict, war-risk insurance stood at around 0.12 percent of a vessel’s value. It has since climbed to roughly 5 percent – if coverage is available at all,” said Pakistan Ship’s Agents Association Chairman Mohammed Rajpar.
“For a very large crude carrier valued at $100 million, that means a premium of about $5 million for a single transit.”
While oil shipments continue selectively, container trade faces greater disruption due to tighter margins and time-sensitive cargo.
Former ambassador Jamil Ahmed Khan said the blockade could hit Iran’s economy hard.
“Iran remains significantly dependent on oil revenue,” he said, warning that restrictions on key routes would affect foreign exchange earnings and economic stability.
Yet analysts caution that Iran may endure prolonged disruption.
“When a leadership perceives an existential threat, economic rationality as we define it in peacetime loses primacy,” Hassan said.
“They could plausibly keep the strait disrupted for longer than many assume,” he added.
