The Strategic Importance Of The Khaf-Herat Railway: Iran Eyes Access To Central Asia And China Through Afghanistan

Memri

5 days ago

On July 8, 2025, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) announced on its official website that the construction of the fourth and final segment of the Khaf-Herat railway was now 87 percent completed, revealing an expedited push by the Taliban leaders to build the railway line connecting the Iranian city of Khaf (also spelled Khawaf) to Herat in Afghanistan.[1]
Some 80 kilometers of the 220-kilometer railroad are located in Iran, and the remaining 140 kilometers stretch from the border to the Afghan city of Herat. A report of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture added that Iran had connected its eastern rail network to Afghanistan through this project. Once completed, the rail network would connect Afghanistan to Turkey and Europe, and Iran to Central Asia and China.[2]
According to the report, the Khaf-Herat project has four parts: two on Iranian soil and two in Afghanistan. Three phases of the railway project are already complete, while the Taliban's announcement indicates that the railway line will be ready on time by this year or early 2026.[3]
On the map showing Iran's rail network, the section outlined in red shows the intended link from city of Khaf to Herat in Afghanistan (map courtesy: Otaghiranonline.ir).
The Taliban website noted: "Upon the successful establishment of the Khaf-Herat railway, Afghanistan will be seamlessly linked to neighboring nations, the region, and the global network through rail connections. This development will not only reduce transportation costs and enhance speed, but also reduce distances between regions, facilitating the export of Afghan goods to global markets."[4]
The Khaf-Herat railway is the missing link for both Iran and Afghanistan. For Iran, it enables Iranian trains to forge further connections from Herat onward to Central Asia (since Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are already connected by rail to the border of Afghanistan) and to China sometime in the future. For Afghanistan, this railway line first connects to the country to the Iranian railway network and onward to Turkey and Europe.
The strategic importance of railway was earlier examined by the Iranian website Iess.ir in a report titled: "The Strategic Importance of Khaf-Herat Railway."
Excerpts from the report are given below.[5]
"Another Importance That This Railway Has For Iran In A More Strategic Way... Is [In Forging] This Country's Connection To Central Asia And China Through Afghanistan"
"The Khaf-Herat railway is strategically important for both Afghanistan and Iran in several ways. Apart from the fact that Iran's railway connection to Afghanistan is considered a major step in diversifying the country's connection with another neighbor, it clearly provides Iran with the opportunity to fulfill its long-term goal of increasing exports to Afghanistan.
"Although the amount of Iran's exports to Afghanistan is currently in a good condition compared to other Afghanistan's neighbors, relying solely on trade from road routes in the future will not be sufficient to respond to the increasing speed of that country's exports to Afghanistan...
"Afghanistan is currently connected to its two northern neighbors Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan through rail. Therefore, the increase in Afghanistan's future import capacities requires Iran to be connected to Afghanistan through more rail lines. Another importance that this railway has for Iran is strategic – of course, not at the moment, but in the future – is this country's connection to Central Asia and China through Afghanistan.
"Although Afghanistan still lacks a rail network system, and the current final route of the discussed railway is Herat, this railway has the capacity to connect Iran to Central Asian countries and China..."
"Through This Railway, Afghanistan Is Easily Connected To Iran's Sea Ports In The Caspian Sea"; "On A Larger Scale, Afghanistan Will Be Connected To The Turkish Railway Network Through The Iranian Railway"
"Apart from the importance of Khaf-Herat railway for Iran, the construction of this railway is considered much more valuable for Afghanistan. The first advantage of this railway for Afghanistan is connecting Afghanistan to the national railway network of Iran. Through this railway, Afghanistan is connected to the Mashhad-Zahedan-Chabahar railway network. On the other hand, through this railway, Afghanistan is easily connected to Iran's sea ports on the Caspian Sea.
"On a larger scale, Afghanistan will be connected to the Turkish railway network through the Iranian railway network, and through it to the European transcontinental railway network. In fact, it is amazing to imagine how far the Khaf-Herat railway can connect Afghanistan to the railway networks in Southwest Asia and Europe.
"The key importance of this advantage becomes more prominent when we compare it with the Lapis Lazuli Route. In the past, Afghanistan paid great attention to the Lapis Lazuli Project [connecting Afghanistan to Europe through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey] to connect with Europe and made great efforts to implement it.
(map courtesy: Otaghiranonline.ir)
"Although the Lapis Lazuli Route also has its particular advantages, but compared to it, the Iranian route which connects Afghanistan to Europe by covering a very short distance through an integrated network of railways, is far superior in all respects.
"Another importance and advantage of the Khaf-Herat railway for Afghanistan is that this railway enables a low-cost, high-speed access as well as the transfer of large volumes of goods from Iran's sea and land ports to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has always suffered from the lack of access to seaports. The Khaf-Herat railway makes Iran's sea and land ports accessible to Afghanistan..."
"After The Return Of The Taliban To Power In Afghanistan, The Restoration And Activation Of This Railway Shows The Strong Interest Of The Taliban Authorities To Have Good Relations With Iran"
"On the other hand, although Afghanistan has access to seaports through Pakistan, this access is currently provided through roadways, while the Khaf-Herat railway provides this access by rail, which is considered a double advantage. Another important issue that the Khaf-Herat railway brings to Afghanistan is the multi-purpose use of this railway by Afghanistan.
"In short, Afghanistan can make three simultaneous uses of this railway. First, using this railway for cheaper and faster access to Iranian products; second, utilizing this railway to access Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea; and third, connecting to Turkey and Europe through this railway.
"Along with the economic advantages of Khaf-Herat railway, the activation of this line also brings positive political feedback for both countries. Although this railway was opened during the previous government of Afghanistan, the reactivation of it is very important in the current situation when the Taliban are in control of Afghanistan. After the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, the restoration and activation of this railway indicates the great interest of the Taliban authorities to have good relations with Iran.
"Meanwhile, some plotters are waiting to destroy Afghanistan's good relations with Iran, and they are creating such an atmosphere that it seems as if the Islamic Emirate [Afghan Taliban] will experience tension and conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Apart from this positive feedback, the expansion of economic relations between countries helps to further warm political relations..."
"This Railway Can Be The Starting Point Of Regional Corridors Such As The Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Railway, Five Nations Railway Corridor..."; "The Launch Of The Khaf-Herat Railway Can Be An Incentive To Connect To The China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Railway Which Is Currently Active"
"Regional Importance
"The regional importance of Khaf-Herat railway is that it connects the two major regions of East and West Asia. Apart from the fact that each of the countries of Central Asia, especially Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, can connect to Iran through this railway in Afghanistan and use Iran's geographical location to connect to Southwest Asia and the Persian Gulf, this railway could be the starting point of regional corridors, such as the Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, Five Nations Railway Corridor (FNRC), the China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Iran corridor, and [become] an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative [of China].
"Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Railway: The Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway plan, whose agreement was signed by officials of these three countries about four years ago [in 2020], is the first and most urgent plan that is just waiting for implementation. Now, with the activation of the Khaf-Herat railway, there is no more room for delay in its implementation. This project, which can connect Tajikistan to Iran through Afghanistan, is considered an urgent priority for the three countries and is an incentive for another larger project known as the Five Nations Corridor.
(Map source: Google)
"The Five Nations Corridor, which includes China and Kyrgyzstan in addition to the aforementioned three countries, is a grand plan to connect East Asia to West Asia. If this transit line is built, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China will be connected through a railway network.
"In addition to rail access to other countries, the countries along this route also benefit from the advantages of goods transit. Also, the launch of the Khaf-Herat railway can be an incentive to connect it to the China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan railway which is currently active. The implementation of this project is perhaps the easiest and cheapest plan, because only the two cities of Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif need to be connected through a railway. With the construction of this part of the railway, China in the east and Iran in the west will be easily connected to each other...
"With the active and large railway network of Iran, as well as the Turkish railway network in the west and the Central Asian railway network in the east, the only minor task is to connect Herat to Mazar-e-Sharif inside Afghanistan. By completing this section, a route of several thousand kilometers will be connected to each other."