ABSTRACT
The Chabahar port project in Iran has garnered significant hype as a potential conduit for Eurasian interconnectivity. India has been heavily investing in the development of Chabahar port since the 1990s, as the project could transform regional trade and strengthen Iranian and Indian geopolitical influence. Scholarship on Chabahar port tends to focus most extensively on the potential benefits for Iran and India while overlooking the implications for other significant partners in the project − most notably, the Central Asian states. Drawing from a multitude of sources, including news outlets, academic articles, official statements, and investment data, this chapter intends to contribute to the literature by identifying what historical forces drew Iran, India, and the Central Asian states to collaborate on Chabahar port, as well as what motivating factors drive each country’s interest in the project today.
