Shea Levin — text status

Iran’s attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz blockade by shifting more of its trade onto overland routes is running into serious problems, with trucks and goods stranded at border crossings and transportation costs soaring, the Wall Street Journal reports. Tehran has sought alternative routes through Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, as well as the Caspian Sea and rail connections toward China. But the alternatives have so far been unable to replace normal maritime commerce, while moving freight from China over land reportedly costs roughly four times as much as shipping it by sea.