The Middle Corridor will retain its strategic importance, ITF told Trend.
According to the International Transport Forum representative, routes passing through Turkmenistan and Iran could become more attractive for cargo moving between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, Türkiye, or Middle Eastern markets with the lasting peace between the US and Iran.
"Improved relations could make routes through Turkmenistan and Iran more attractive, particularly for cargo moving between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf, Türkiye, or markets in the Middle East," the organization said.
The ITF noted that, for certain origin-destination pairs, overland transit through Iran may offer operational advantages.
"For some origin-destination pairs, a land route through Iran could avoid the additional handling, port interfaces, and ferry operations required for a Caspian Sea crossing. This could place competitive pressure on the Trans-Caspian route," the organization said.
At the same time, the ITF believes the Middle Corridor will continue to play a key role in Eurasian connectivity.
"The Middle Corridor would nevertheless retain strategic value as a diversified Asia–Europe route that avoids both Russia and Iran. It will continue to benefit from strong political and investment support for Eurasian connectivity," the organization noted.
According to the ITF, its analysis identified the Middle Corridor as the most feasible alternative to the Northern Corridor after disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.
"Its long-term competitiveness, however, depends on addressing operational bottlenecks," the organization added.
The ITF also sees opportunities for Turkmenistan under different transport configurations.
"Turkmenistan could potentially benefit under both configurations. It can serve as a transit country for routes crossing the Caspian towards Azerbaijan and for routes running south through Iran," the organization said.
Meanwhile, as no tangible progress was made in the nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, the situation escalated on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military airstrikes against Iran. In retaliation, Iran initiated missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. installations in the region. Following these developments, a two-week ceasefire agreement was brokered on April 7 through Pakistan's mediation.
A peace memorandum was signed between Iran and the U.S. on June 18. The memorandum was signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and U.S. President Donald Trump. The memorandum came into effect on June 19.
On June 21, the first round of talks between Iran and the U.S. took place in Switzerland, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. Among the issues discussed was the restoration of safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints, following weeks of heightened military tensions and disruptions to regional shipping. The waterway carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption and a significant share of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade, making its uninterrupted operation critical for global shipping, energy markets, and supply chains.
