After a five-month pause, Iran and Qatar resume maritime trade between them

Iran and Qatar have officially resumed maritime trade exchanges, bringing to an end a nearly five-month interruption caused by the conflict in the region.

Confirmation of this development was given on Sunday by Iran’s trade attaché in Doha, according to Iranian state media.

Maritime transport was restored after the temporary agreement reached last month between Tehran and Washington. The agreement declared an end to hostilities after a four-month conflict and provided for maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf to return to pre-war levels. Despite this, shipping to and from the Gulf remains sensitive and contested.

According to Abbas Abdolkhani, commercial navigation between Iran’s Dayyer port and Qatar’s Al Ruwais port has resumed, following coordination between the Iranian Embassy in Doha and Qatari authorities.

These two ports, located opposite each other on the shores of the Persian Gulf, are mainly used for regional trade. During the conflict, Iran’s Dayyer port was hit several times, leading to the suspension of commercial activity.

Signs of a return to normality in regional trade had also emerged at the end of June. At that time, an official from Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization announced that Iranian goods had begun being cleared through customs again at the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, the largest port in the region.

The resumption of the movement of goods between Iran, Qatar and other Gulf countries is seen as an indication of the slow return of trade activity in the region after months of tensions and military clashes.