CACI, 13 July 2026
Very interesting analysis of the repercussions of the US-Iran war for connectivity in Eurasia and, for example, on the Iran-Afghanistan-China route. The authors conclude:
Afghanistan is becoming Tehran’s overland insurance against maritime pressure, and the railway to Herat, together with the plan for Mazar-i-Sharif, anchors that link. A through bypass of the maritime chokepoints, however, has yet to be built. Its fate depends on Afghanistan’s stability and on China’s decision about its own border…
(…)
For Central Asia and the South Caucasus, the combined effect cuts both ways. The region’s transit weight is rising, since both Iran and its rivals need overland routes through it. At the same time, the region risks becoming a field of rivalry between U.S.-backed routes and alignments involving Iran and Russia.
The article also gives an update on how far regional road and railway projects through Afghanistan have really gotten so far: not far.
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 31 Jul 2026
