Maritime trade ties between Oman and Iran were further bolstered on Saturday when a consignment of pipes shipped from Sohar Port and Free Zone was discharged at the Iranian port of Bandar Lengeh. At the same time, a shipment of gypsum bound for Sohar Port was loaded in the first commercial maritime exchange recorded between the two countries at the southern Iranian port, Oman’s Daily Observer reported. Around 1,300 tons of pipes shipped in from Sohar Port were discharged during the maiden call. On the return leg, the vessel is set to load around 20,000 tons of gypsum for discharge at Sohar Port. Bandar Lengeh is located around 240 kilometers west of Bandar Abbas, the provincial capital of Hormozgan. The Iranian port’s relative proximity to ports in Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE adds to the importance of its strategic location. Earlier in February, Iran and Oman launched another direct shipping route from Iran’s Shahid Rajaei Port–also in Hormozgan Province–to Sohar.
