Trucks Pile Up at Iran-Turkey Border as US Port Blockade Reshapes Trade

Hundreds of trucks are backed up along the road into Iran from Turkey's mountainous eastern border, as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports forces Tehran to lean heavily on overland routes.

At the Gurbulak crossing — normally the busiest between the two countries — waiting times have more than quadrupled since the war began, according to data from the International Transporters Association, which represents Turkey's international logistics sector. Drivers say the customs queue on the Iranian side is longer still, with waits over the past month running from 12 to 25 days.

Muhammed Riza Shiri, 55, had already waited four days to carry a load of rubber into Iran when he spoke at the crossing. "Our job has become very difficult," he said. "We have to wait for too long. I now make one trip every 40 days, two months. All my family waits for me to earn so they can eat."

Another driver, Salih Akkaya, said conditions had deteriorated sharply in recent months. "Up until three or four months ago, there were no problems," he said. "A shipment that we used to complete in 24 hours now takes a week. Fuel prices have risen dramatically. Our profits have been cut by half, and more than half of that is due to the time we lose."

Many drivers blamed longer inspections by Turkish authorities of trucks leaving Iran for the delays.

The blockade has cut off the vast majority of Iran's imports and severed the oil and gas sales that largely sustain its economy. Before the war, more than 80% of Iranian trade moved through the Gulf, according to Iran economist Mohammad Farzanegan. With seaborne routes choked, the land crossings with Turkey to the west and Pakistan to the east have become critical links to Europe and Asia.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pressed to accelerate overland trade. Tehran has accused Washington of trying to weaken the country, insisted the pressure will not alter its stance in negotiations, and demanded an end to the blockade before it allows commercial shipping to flow again through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's grip has unsettled global markets and oil prices.

The strain is visible in the broader economy. Iran's statistics agency says the economy shrank by more than 10% in the three months after the Iranian calendar year began on March 20, compared with the same period a year earlier, while the non-oil economy contracted by 4.6%. The rial has sunk and inflation has soared since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28. Weeks before that, worsening economic conditions had sparked anti-government protests that ended in a deadly crackdown.

Officials in Iran and its neighbours say they are working to speed up crossings, but for now the lines at Gurbulak continue to stretch for miles.