Russia, Iran, India Secure Rasht-Astara Rail Financing as Hormuz Flows Slump to 4.9 Million Barrels a Day
Updated
Updated · War On The Rocks · Aug 26
Russia, Iran, India Secure Rasht-Astara Rail Financing as Hormuz Flows Slump to 4.9 Million Barrels a Day
2 articles · Updated · War On The Rocks · Aug 26
Summary
Early-2026 financing for the Rasht-Astara railway advances the missing Iranian link in the Russia-Iran-India International North-South Transport Corridor, tightening Tehran’s role in a Moscow-centered trade network.
4.9 million barrels a day moved through the Strait of Hormuz in Q2 2026, down from 21.6 million two quarters earlier during the U.S.-Iran confrontation, reinforcing the push for alternative routes even though they cannot replace the strait.
Trade on the INSTC roughly doubled in 2024, giving the railway fresh commercial logic, but the article argues Iran is gaining a sanctions-shadowed transit role rather than becoming a preferred connector for all sides.
84% of crude and 83% of LNG crossing Hormuz in 2024 went to Asia, meaning Caucasus and overland corridors offer only limited relief for Europe while leaving the core Gulf-to-Asia dependence intact.
The broader corridor race is reshaping Eurasian leverage: Western-backed routes increasingly bypass Iran, Turkey’s transit importance rises, and Hormuz remains indispensable despite new pipelines and rail links.