China. Railway line to Tehran inaugurated: Malacca Strait bypassed

Today I am providing my English translation of an article by Giuseppe Gagliano, originally in Italian, published first on NotizieGeopolitiche.net on Tuesday 27th May 2025 and then on ComeDonChisciotte.org on Tuesday 3rd June 2025. Although it is a bit “old”, it may explain quite well why all of a sudden “someone” (not necessarily Netanyahu or Trump, but whoever pulls their strings) decided that it was time to attack Iran. (All emphasis mine).

In the heart of Asia, a new railway corridor is quietly changing the global game. The recent inauguration of the railway line connecting Urumqi, in China's Xinjiang province, to Tehran, via Central Asia and Turkmenistan, is not only a logistical feat, but a strategic challenge that is shaking up the geopolitical balance. With a transit time of just 15 days, compared to the 40 days required by sea routes, this corridor allows China and Iran to bypass the Strait of Malacca and other maritime arteries under the aegis of the US Navy, opening a new era for the trade of Chinese goods and Iranian oil to European markets. It is a project that not only shortens distances but also redraws the maps of power, challenging American hegemony over the control of global routes.

The Strait of Malacca, the maritime bottleneck connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, has been China's Achilles' heel for decades. Around 80% of China's oil imports and 60% of its maritime trade pass through this passage, making Beijing vulnerable to a potential naval blockade by the United States or its allies, such as Singapore or India. In 2003, former Chinese President Hu Jintao called this dependence the “Malacca dilemma”, a strategic problem that has prompted China to seek land-based alternatives to diversify its trade routes and ensure energy security. The new China-Iran railway corridor, an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is the most daring response to this challenge.

The route, approximately 4,000 kilometres long, connects Yiwu (Zhejiang) to Qom, Iran, passing through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. According to the China Railway Corporation, the corridor could transport over 10 million tonnes of goods per year by 2030, thanks to growing demand from Eurasian and Middle Eastern markets. For Iran, this project represents an economic lifeline: Western sanctions, which limit access to maritime and financial markets, find in land transport an alternative less exposed to international pressure. Iranian oil can now reach China without passing through the Strait of Hormuz or Malacca, reducing the risk of disruptions due to geopolitical tensions or sanctions.

It is no coincidence that this corridor comes at a time of growing tensions between China, Iran and the United States. Washington has stepped up efforts to contain Beijing's economic expansion and limit Iranian oil exports, which are considered a source of funding for the Tehran regime. The US Navy, with its dominant presence in the Pacific and Persian Gulf, poses a constant threat to both countries. However, the rail corridor changes the game: not only does it allow China to access Iranian oil without passing through US-controlled waters, but it also strengthens Iran as a commercial hub between Asia and Europe, making it less dependent on vulnerable sea routes.

This project is part of a broader context of Sino-Iranian cooperation. In 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year strategic partnership agreement, which provides for Chinese investments of $400 billion in infrastructure, energy and technology in Iran. The railway is a key part of this strategy, financed in part by the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, with the involvement of giants such as the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC). On the Iranian side, the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) has coordinated the expansion of internal infrastructure, harmonising railway standards with international ones to ensure a continuous flow of goods.

This development worries Washington. The United States has invested heavily in maintaining control of key global shipping lanes, with strategic naval bases such as Singapore and the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The ability to interdict Chinese or Iranian trade through checkpoints such as Malacca or Hormuz has long been a geopolitical weapon. However, the new corridor reduces the effectiveness of this leverage by offering China and Iran a land-based alternative that escapes US control. Not surprisingly, posts on platforms such as X describe the project as a “geopolitical revolution”, capable of reviving Halford Mackinder's theory on the importance of controlling the Eurasian Heartland for global domination.

Despite its potential, the corridor is not without obstacles. The route passes through countries such as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, where railway infrastructure requires constant upgrades and where political stability is not always guaranteed. Cross-border management requires complex agreements on customs, security and technical standards, and any regional tensions could compromise the flow of goods. Furthermore, although significant, the volume of rail transport remains a fraction of the 144 million tonnes that pass through the Strait of Malacca each year, making the corridor a complement to, rather than a substitute for, maritime routes in the short term.

Then there is the question of the international response. The United States and its allies, such as India and Japan, are promoting alternative projects, such as the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor [the so-called IMEC], to counter Chinese influence. Turkey, with its Development Road project, aims to compete as a trade hub between the Persian Gulf and Europe. These developments suggest growing competition for control of trade routes, with Eurasia at the centre of a new “great game”.

The China-Iran railway corridor is not just infrastructure, but a symbol of the multipolar world that is taking shape. By reducing their dependence on US-controlled sea routes, China and Iran are building an alternative that strengthens their strategic autonomy and that of Central Asian countries. For Europe, the corridor offers commercial opportunities, but also dilemmas: how to balance faster access to goods with geopolitical pressures from Washington?

In an era of growing global tensions, this project reminds us that control of trade routes is still at the heart of competition between powers. China, with its vision of the New Silk Road, and Iran, with its resilience against sanctions, are betting on a future in which Eurasia returns to being the centre of the world. It remains to be seen whether the United States, guardian of the global maritime order, will find an effective response to this land-based challenge. [Well… I think we have been seeing its response over the last few days!]

One thing is certain: the train that left Urumqi is not only carrying goods, but also a clear message to the world.

---