Introduction
The geographical environment and strategic location have historically served as a foundation for shaping opportunities, challenges, and competition among powers. This geographical setting not only holds natural and spatial value but also exerts influence in international politics. In this context, transit corridors, as networks of communication, energy flows, and vital arteries of the global economy, have gained significance beyond mere trade routes, becoming instruments of influence, geopolitical competition, and power balancing in specific regions. Iran, located in West Asia, due to its unique position as a crossroads connecting three continents and as a central hub of the world’s energy resources, has consistently been a stage for intense competition among regional and extra-regional actors. In recent years, amid rapid transformations in the global order and efforts by emerging powers to enhance their geopolitical influence, large-scale transit projects such as the “Persian Gulf–Mediterranean Transit Corridor” have gained prominence. This corridor, connecting the Persian Gulf to the eastern Mediterranean through Iran, Iraq, and Syria, is not merely a transport route; it also serves as a tool for redefining power relations, reorganizing energy and trade flows, and reconstructing the regional order. The Islamic Republic of Iran, due to its unique geostrategic position, has historically enjoyed transit advantages and has considered the north–south and east–west routes as core pillars of its strategic depth and geo-economic development.
Importance of the Study
The Persian Gulf–Mediterranean corridor, alongside offering opportunities to enhance Iran’s regional role, could—if Tehran remains inactive—lead to the emergence of rival or parallel routes, thereby posing challenges to national interests, relations with neighbors, Iran’s position in global supply chains, and its geopolitical influence.
Research Question
The main question of this study is: How does the aforementioned transit initiative and corridor function as a form of diplomacy, leading to a reorganization of power structures and geopolitical competition for Iran in West Asia? What opportunities and threats does it present for the foreign policy and regional strategies of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
Conceptual Framework: Geopolitics, Geostrategy, and Patterns of Power Relations
Geopolitics examines the impact of geographical factors on policies and power relations among international actors, analyzing inter-state relations through patterns such as interactive, dominant, influential, competitive, and confrontational. Geostrategy involves the design and guidance of strategies based on the geographical environment, particularly in military domains, taking into account both static and dynamic variables. The concept of “cooperative competition” and the management of conflicting interests demonstrate that actors, despite divergent interests, can achieve common goals through collaboration, partnership, and co-creation.
Literature Review
Genz, Sinkkonen, and Vogt (2023): Connectivity diplomacy refers to a set of policies through which states design and govern connectivity rules and pathways, inherently competitive in nature.
Karbalija (2016) and Kontsi (2018): Transport, energy, and digital infrastructures have become geo-economic tools, generating “power through connectivity.”
Winter (2020): Connectivity projects carry identity- and order-building narratives, highlighting the normative and civilizational dimensions of connection.
Calibasano (2024) and Fulton (2021): Competition among corridors supported by major powers leads to “transit wars,” where control over routes replaces territorial control.
Hafzenia and Ghorbani (2020): The geo-economics of corridors in West Asia is closely intertwined with security and geopolitical calculations.
Motaghi et al. (2019) and Mohammadpour et al. (2022): Technical-economic studies focus on cost reduction, transport time, and infrastructure capacity.
Dehshiri and Rahimi (2021) and Sajadpour (2019): Geopolitical-security studies analyze corridors within the framework of resistance-axis competition and the containment of Iran.
Research Gap
Previous findings indicate that the existing literature either focuses on the economic aspects of corridors or their geopolitical dimensions, with limited attention to intermediate mechanisms and the integration of both dimensions.
Research Methodology
This study adopts a qualitative approach with a descriptive–interpretive method, focusing on the Persian Gulf–Mediterranean corridor and examining its geopolitical and geo-economic roles in reorganizing the balance of power in West Asia. The data include official documents, think tank reports, and academic articles (2015–2025), which were coded and analyzed using directed thematic analysis across three dimensions: geo-economic, geopolitical, and diplomatic. The validity of the analysis was ensured through the triangulation of sources and the incorporation of contrasting viewpoints, although access to elite interviews was limited.
Research Findings
1. Geopolitical Outcomes
Iran emerges as a connectivity hub: Iran’s geography and domestic infrastructure, particularly Imam Khomeini Port and Persian Gulf ports, position the country as a key node connecting international routes and major trade arteries of Russia, China, and India. Deepening alliances with Eurasian powers: The corridor aligns Iran’s interests with Russia (bypassing NATO pressure and sanctions) and China (reducing dependence on the Malacca Strait and expanding economic influence). Countering U.S. containment: Anti-sanctions supply chains reduce economic pressure on Iran and contribute to the formation of a geo-economic bloc resistant to the West.
Geo-economic Outcomes
Development of the maritime economy and port capacities: The expansion of Imam Khomeini Port and Persian Gulf ports transforms Iran from a transit route into a production and export hub, reducing costs and generating added economic value. Synergy with Russian and Chinese projects: Integration with initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the North–South Corridor strengthens Iran’s transit revenues and economic security. Role in the emerging geo-economic order: Iran’s strategic position connecting Eurasia to the Indian Ocean establishes it as a central logistical and economic hub, mitigating the impact of dollar-denominated sanctions.
Opportunities and Threats Along the Corridor
Iraq: The Port of Faw and road development can transform Iraq into a transit hub; however, regional competition and parallel Kuwaiti projects impose constraints.
Lebanon: Revitalizing Tripoli Port could turn Lebanon into a logistics hub; however, domestic instability, sanctions, and competition with Arab-Israeli routes remain major obstacles.
Syria: Post-Assad developments, including the adoption of more neutral policies and the attraction of Arab and Chinese investments, may challenge the Iran-centered corridor and intensify competition among regional actors (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, China).
Actor Competition and Convergence
Iran plays a central and leading role, aiming to enhance geo-economic resilience and secure access to the Mediterranean.
Iraq and Syria play decisive but high-risk roles, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel primarily act as competitors.
Russia and China have the capacity to strengthen the corridor if stability is maintained, while the United States, through sanctions and support for rival routes, contributes to competition and uncertainty.
Theoretical Analysis and Geopolitical Patterns
The corridor reflects the geographical manifestation of the policies of Iran, Russia, and China and serves as a tool for reorganizing regional and global order. It fosters economic and strategic convergence among corridor countries while intensifying competition and confrontation with the United States and its allies. The Persian Gulf–Mediterranean corridor represents a multi-layered strategy, encompassing both geopolitical (power and influence) and geo-economic (trade and development) dimensions, elevating Iran from a pressured state to a central and influential actor in Eurasia. The Persian Gulf–Mediterranean corridor transforms Iran from a sanctioned, peripheral country into a central geostrategic and geo-economic hub in Eurasia, simultaneously enhancing economic opportunities, strengthening alliances with major powers, and intensifying regional and global competition.