This article has evidence gaps. Read the research notes before relying on its conclusions.
Research cutoff: · Updated:Different facilities, different functions
Freight terminals should not be treated as a single interchangeable category. An Iranian chamber-of-commerce presentation reports cargo terminals separately from border terminals. That distinction is important when interpreting infrastructure inventories: a facility associated with domestic goods transport and a border gateway do not necessarily perform the same functions. The presentation provides a historical snapshot rather than a current, site-by-site register. s1
A documented international shipment offers a clearer view of how different facilities connect. In an operation reported in November 2017, a container travelled from Slovenia through Italy and Türkiye to Iran. Its route combined road, sea and rail before returning to road transport at Sahlan. This example shows why an account of freight terminals must examine connections between transport modes as well as individual sites. s2
[s1] [s2]Sahlan: a documented rail-to-road transfer
According to the International Road Transport Union, or IRU, the container crossed by sea from Trieste to Mersin and then continued by rail through the Iranian customs office at Razi. At Sahlan’s customs office and rail terminal, it was transferred to an Iranian truck for the journey to Bandar Abbas. Iranian Customs accepted TIR as a transit document and guarantee for the rail movement. s2
TIR, short for the French Transports Internationaux Routiers, is a customs transit system that can cover intermodal journeys containing a road leg. The example demonstrates a particular coordinated operation; it does not establish a regular scheduled service or a universal journey time for freight moving through Iran. s2
[s2]The intermodal movement reported in 2017
The arrows describe the shipment reported by IRU, including its changes of transport mode. They do not establish present service availability, ownership or institutional authority.
[s2]Bandar Abbas: documentation alongside infrastructure
In January 2023, IRU reported that the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, abbreviated ICCIMA, had opened a TIR office in Bandar Abbas. This was an administrative service supporting transit, not evidence that a new physical cargo terminal had been built. s3
The same report described digital TIR pilots involving Türkiye, Azerbaijan and India. It also advocated closer coordination between port authorities and customs and greater use of inland customs offices. Those proposals identify operational priorities; they do not independently demonstrate that port congestion or clearance times subsequently fell. s3
[s3]Border capacity includes procedures
IRU’s October 2025 account of visits to Bazargan on the Türkiye border and Astara and Bilesavar on the Azerbaijan border reported bottlenecks involving infrastructure and customs procedures. Participants agreed to pursue TIR green lanes and improved access to transit documents. ICCIMA and the Maku Free Zone also signed an agreement concerning logistics services at Bazargan. s4
These are documented commitments, rather than verified completion results. They support a practical conclusion: evaluating a freight gateway requires evidence about its procedures and coordination as well as its physical facilities. Comparable waiting-time, throughput and implementation data are still needed to assess the outcomes of the announced changes. s4
[s4]Sources & research notes
- [s1] International Road Transport: presentation by Behnam FaramarzianIran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture; hosted by UNECE eTIR · PDF page 13, I.R.IRAN Road Transport Figures in 2021; separate cargo-terminal and border-terminal counts · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s2] First intermodal TIR operation containing rail, maritime and road legsInternational Road Transport Union · Route description, Iranian customs arrangements and Notes: About the intermodal transport of goods under TIR · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s3] New TIR centre opens in Iran to meet growing transit demandInternational Road Transport Union · Opening announcement and Trade digitalisation and cooperation · Accessed 2026-10-28
- [s4] Trade flows in focus: Iran border visits reveal key areas for improvementInternational Road Transport Union · Border-visit findings, agreed measures and Free zone section · Accessed 2026-10-28
limitations
- The account concentrates on documented international and intermodal examples; domestic cargo-terminal operations remain insufficiently covered.
- IRU is an industry organization involved in promoting TIR; its reports establish reported activities and commitments, not independent proof of effectiveness.
- The diagram depicts a historical shipment rather than a current service map.
- Sources were accessed after the editorial cutoff; only reports published before that cutoff were used.
unverified items
- Current domestic cargo-terminal inventory, ownership and operating arrangements.
- Site-level cargo handling, storage and vehicle-service capabilities.
- Implementation and outcomes of the green lanes and Bazargan logistics agreement reported in 2025.
- Independent assessments of terminal efficiency and conditions for drivers.
data gaps
- No comparable annual terminal-count or throughput series for 2012–2026 was verified.
- No consistent annual waiting-time or terminal-capacity series was obtained.
- Historical terminal counts and TIR-document issuance were not substituted for measurements of freight-terminal throughput.
coverage period
Documented operations and institutional reports from 2017–2025