The director general of the Ports and Maritime Organization in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province said there are still challenges faced by Iranian ships in Indian ports.

Qasem Askari Nasab, addressing reporters during a press conference on Thursday, underscored the hurdles Iran faces in the global arena, with Mundra port emerging as a focal point of concern.

Hossein Shahdadi, Deputy of the Ports and Maritime Organization in Sistan and Baluchestan, elaborated further to ILNA, stating that “while commercial activities between ports remain unhindered, specific shipping lines encounter obstacles in docking ships due to contractual complexities.”

The remarks follow earlier revelations by an Iranian transportation official, highlighting the necessity for global ports to obtain approval from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control before accommodating Iranian vessels. Masoud Daneshmand, a member of the board of directors at the Center of Transport Institutions, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that numerous Iranian shipping assets are subject to sanctions, resulting in their inactivity.

The United States imposed fresh sanctions in March on entities associated with Iran's shipping and petrochemical sectors. The sanctions align with a 2018 executive order that reinstated measures targeting Iran's oil, banking, and transportation industries. Additionally, in 2019, the Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a cautionary advisory to global entities engaged in shipping petroleum or related products from Iran, alerting them to potential repercussions.