HERAT, Afghanistan — A shipment of dried fruit from western Afghanistan has been dispatched to Turkey and Europe via a newly activated rail corridor connecting Herat to Iran and onward to Europe, Taliban officials said on Thursday.
According to a statement from the Taliban governor’s office in Herat, the 200-metric-ton consignment is valued at approximately $1.2 million and includes pistachio kernels, raisins, almonds, and pine nuts. The shipment was organized by a private Afghan company and sent via the Herat-Khaf railway, which links Afghanistan to Iran’s rail network and extends westward into Turkey and Europe.
The Iranian embassy in Kabul confirmed the shipment, saying it marked the activation of the Afghanistan–Iran–Europe railway corridor. The first cargo was dispatched from Herat in the presence of Iran’s consul general.
“This corridor will contribute to Afghanistan’s economic growth,” the Iranian statement read.
The Herat-Khaf railway is seen as a critical trade route connecting Afghanistan with major export markets. Taliban officials said more than 35,000 tons of goods have been transported along this route in the past three months alone.
While previous shipments of Turkish goods had entered Afghanistan via this railway through Iran, this marks the first confirmed export from Afghanistan bound for Europe through the corridor.
Taliban officials have promoted the launch as a milestone in regional trade cooperation, amid efforts to bolster Afghanistan’s struggling economy through increased exports.
