Iran has launched commercial vehicle transit operations through the southeastern port of Jask, receiving its first shipment of imported cars from Oman on May 31, local media reported. 

The new trade route has been launched despite efforts by the US Navy just miles away in the Indian Ocean, attempting to choke the Iranian economy, and comes days after US President Donald Trump saying he would bomb Oman for continuing to ignore his diktats on Iran. 

Tehran said it seeks to diversify cargo flows beyond its traditional Persian Gulf gateways, the Ministry of Roads & Urban Development reported on May 31.

The move comes amid existing supply shortages at Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following the country's decision to cut off Iran from the traditional re-export route due to tensions between Abu Dhabi and Tehran. 

In the initial test delivery, some 16 vehicles were carried by two landing craft under the Iran-Oman trade framework, facing off against the US navy which could have potentially seized the exports.  

Hamidreza Mohammad Hosseini Takhti, director of Shahid Bahonar and Eastern Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Administration, said unloading began after Iran’s customs authority granted a temporary three-month permit for transit operations at Jask.

Two vessels arrived from Oman carrying eight vehicles each, he said, adding that further consignments are expected in the coming weeks.

According to Omani statistics, bilateral trade reached approximately $1.33bn in 2024, up 52% year on year, showing growing commercial links across the Persian Gulf. Omani exports and re-exports to Iran rose 69% to roughly $939mn during the year.

Recent institutional agreements have also laid the groundwork for deeper trade integration. Oman approved a preferential trade agreement with Iran in September 2025, aimed at lowering tariffs and reducing non-tariff barriers, while a separate customs cooperation agreement entered into force the same month to streamline customs procedures and facilitate cross-border cargo movements.

Located on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz, Jask has emerged as one of Iran’s most strategically important ports.

The facility serves as the terminus of the Goreh-Jask oil pipeline and forms part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, the multimodal route linking the Indian Ocean with Russia and Northern Europe.