Sea-based economy: Missing link in Iran’s development

Ports, marine resources, and related industries are a key component of marine economic operations in many countries and coastal areas, and hence a source of sustainable income and development.

With expansive coastlines in the north and south, Iran has a high capacity for developing a sea-based economy which can generate extensive employment and reduce the country's dependence on traditional resources such as oil.

Ports, as Iran's gateways to the global economy, play an important role in the transit of goods and trade exchanges.

The Shahid Rajaee Port, as the country's largest commercial port in the Persian Gulf, is a major hub for trade and shipping, handling various types of cargo. Chabahar, on the other hand, can be Iran's pivot to prosperity through access to the markets of India, China, Russia, and Central Asia.

Iran also has rich aquatic and fisheries resources, where fish and shrimp farming on the southern coast, especially in the Makran region, has high potential for growth.

The global demand for marine products is on the rise amid population growth and changing diets, which is catered for through aquaculture production due to diminishing marine stocks as a result of overfishing and pollution.

Over the past 50 years, the ocean-based economy has grown to $1.5 trillion and is projected to hit $3 trillion by 2030, with significant further growth expected particularly in offshore wind, marine aquaculture and fish processing.

Also, the global marine biotechnology market was valued at 6.78 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $13.59 billion by 2034, with increasing improvements in medication, aquaculture and fisheries development expected to drive its growth.

The marine biotechnology market includes the application of biotechnology techniques that utilize marine bioresources such as animals, plants, and microbes for beneficial applications. Its applications span across diverse domains, including bioremediation, renewable energy, agriculture, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

Coastal nations have exclusive authority over all resources within two hundred miles of shore, in which they can conserve, exploit and manage the living and non-living resources present in the water, seabed and subsurface. The remaining area is called the high seas which accounts for about 65% of the ocean.

Iran has a unique geographical location because it is connected to the sea both in the south and the north. It also has the longest coastline in the region and a series of islands with strategic importance.

Including its islands, Iran has more than 24,000 kilometers of coastline along the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, which is unique in the world. The Caspian coast of Iran is about 740 kilometers.

The Persian Gulf, holding an estimated 57-66% of the world's known reserves of oil, is a semi-enclosed sea which is connected to oceans through the narrow 55-km Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's petroleum is shipped.

Chabahar is Iran's only oceanic port with direct access to the Indian Ocean, where the largest ships can dock. The US navy planned to deploy its Fifth Fleet to Chabahar but the Islamic Revolution in 1979 upended it.

The fleet is currently based in Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf surrounded by shoal areas where water depths do not exceed 10 meters. A pilot boat has always to cruise in front to prevent vessels from running aground.

Makran, a watershed in building sea-based economy

The geopolitical features of Iran are considered one of the most important indicators of its empowerment, including turning the country into a regional magnet for commerce and investment.

In the north of Iran, there exists the largest closed body of water in the world, along which three of Iran’s coastal provinces are situated and are considered to be among the country’s most attractive regions for tourists.

Overall, Iran has seven coastal provinces in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of ​​Oman, and the Caspian Sea, which accommodate 22.5 percent of the country's population.

Investment in marine tourism, including building hotels and marine parks, launching cruise destinations, and promoting water sports, can make the sector one of the main pillars of the country's non-oil economy.  

Iran’s vast marine energy resources also provide valuable potential for economic development. Investment in marine energy, such as wind farms and surface sea waves, will also help provide sustainable energy and reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

A sea-based economy can transform Iran into a regional powerhouse. Achieving this goal requires sound policies, extensive investment, infrastructure upgrades, and the use of new technologies.

When Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei announced general policies for sea-based development in November 2023, he described seas as divine gifts whose abundant resources can power the growth of science and technology, increase wealth, meet vital needs and generate authority, beside serving as a suitable platform for building civilization.

Iran needs to take serious action to achieve a worthy regional and global position by utilizing its sea-based capacities as a driving force for the country's development.

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