Pentagon Probes Supplier for Using Iran Supply Route

Biggest Supplier in Afghanistan Found Iran a Convenient Route

With the northern route through the former Soviet Union ridiculously expensive and the Pakistan route intermittently interrupted by US-Pakistan relations turning sour, the largest supplier for the US military in Afghanistan is finding itself under investigation for choosing a better route.

The supplier is accused of shipping into ports in southern Iran and running the equipment in through Herat. Its a safer, cheaper, more reliable route, but unfortunately it also violates US sanctions on Iran.

The story is a particularly problematic one for the Pentagon, which on the one hand is under pressure to crack down on a “violation,” but at the same time can’t help but notice how imminently reasonable using Iran for supplies actually is.

With the US looking to lock up a protracted occupation in Afghanistan “through 2024 and beyond,” a rapprochement with Iran could make them a possible alternative to Pakistan in the years to come.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.