# Iran-Turkey overland trade route expansion

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/iran-turkey-overland-trade-route-expansion
> Updated: 2026-09-24T04:15:26.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Iran is increasingly relying on overland trade routes through Turkey to bypass disruptions in its southern ports. The Van and Kapıköy border crossing has become a strategic gateway for connecting Iranian goods to European markets via land and rail.

This shift toward land-based corridors has intensified due to a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, which has limited imports and disrupted essential oil and gas sales. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for the acceleration of overland trade to mitigate these economic impacts. 

As a result, the Gurbulak border crossing has experienced significant congestion, with hundreds of trucks idling in miles-long queues. While Iran is diversifying routes through the Caspian Sea, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia, the Turkish corridor remains a vital link. Tehran has stated that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will only resume once the blockade ends.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-24: Turkey-Iran border crossing jammed by overland trade surge

A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has forced Tehran to rely on overland trade, causing massive truck queues at the Turkey-Iran border as the country seeks new economic lifelines.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-iran-border-crossing-jammed-by-overland-trade-surge

### 2026-09-19: Iran seeks alternative trade routes through Turkey

Iran is seeking alternative trade routes to Europe due to disruptions in its southern ports, increasing the strategic importance of the Van-Kapıköy border crossing and Turkish transit corridors.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/iran-seeks-alternative-trade-routes-through-turkey

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Cite as: Iran-Turkey overland trade route expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/iran-turkey-overland-trade-route-expansion