Recognizing maritime-oriented development as crucial for leveraging its economic, commercial, and geopolitical assets, Iran focuses on its ports as vital links in the maritime supply chain. This research employs a systems analysis framework to investigate the functional and structural aspects of Iran's port activities. The study aims to pinpoint structural weaknesses within port sub-functions and propose policy interventions to enhance these sub-functions, ultimately achieving the broader goal of maritime development.



The analysis highlights key impediments: a low volume of container traffic relative to regional peers, inadequate adoption of port automation technologies, limited involvement of the private sector in port investments, and Iran's modest share in the regional bunkering market. To overcome these challenges, the research suggests several policy levers: utilizing regional diplomacy to boost container traffic (especially for specific goods), formulating and implementing tailored investment models for knowledge-based enterprises, establishing an attractive investment ecosystem, facilitating Rial-based and foreign currency contracts with capital guarantees through the National Development Fund to reduce investor risk, and expanding the production capacity of competitively priced low-sulfur fuels. The successful implementation of these strategies is expected to bolster Iran's standing in both regional and international maritime trade, thereby fostering sustainable maritime-oriented growth.