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Iran, UAE restart trade via Jebel Ali Port after wartime disruptions
Tehran-Dubai flights to resume; Lufthansa plans return
Trade between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has resumed through Dubai's Jebel Ali Port after disruptions caused by the recent US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, a senior Iranian trade official said on Saturday.
Mohammad-Sadeq Qanadzadeh, deputy for commercial services at Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), said Jebel Ali, one of the Persian Gulf's largest transshipment hubs, had traditionally handled a significant share of trade between the UAE and Iran.
He said cargo shipments and transit through the port were suspended during the Ramadan War, leaving many Iranian containers stranded because importers were unable to clear their goods.
"Following the return of relative calm to the region, we are now seeing the clearance of goods and containers from Jebel Ali to Iran," Qanadzadeh told the official IRNA news agency.
Trade routes between the two countries have reopened and commerce is gradually recovering, he said, adding that volumes remain below pre-conflict levels but are expected to return to normal.
"There is a gradual resumption of trade, and we hope conditions will return to what they were before the war," he said.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City (IKAC) said Iran and the UAE are set to resume direct flights by the end of this week, while negotiations continue with foreign airlines over the gradual restoration of international air services to Iran.
Ramin Kashefazar said Iranian airlines have begun preparations to restart flights on the Dubai route, with direct services between Iran and the UAE expected to resume later this week.
He noted that no foreign airlines have resumed flights to Iran yet, but talks are underway with several international carriers. According to the IKAC chief, flights operated by foreign airlines—particularly those from neighboring countries—are expected to restart in the near future.
Kashefazar also said that Lufthansa is currently assessing the conditions for resuming its operations to Iran. Based on current expectations, the German carrier is likely to restart its Iran flights this winter, beginning with airlines within the Lufthansa Group, including Austrian Airlines.