Moscow, March 20 Russia expressed concern on Wednesday and warned that the "irresponsible" US-Israeli strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali, a key transit hub on the INSTC linking Mumbai with St Petersburg, created the risk of drawing the Caspian states into the ongoing conflict.
The multi-modal International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) links Mumbai to St Petersburg via Iran, bypassing the Suez Canal, to boost trade between Asia and Europe.
The Customs House and some other structures were destroyed in Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea coast on March 18 in the Israeli-American joint strike, local media reports said.
"We are watching with growing alarm the expanding geography of Israeli and US air strikes in Iran. The US-Israeli coalition continues to add fuel to the war they have ignited in the Middle East (West Asia), further escalating it," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"On March 18, the Iranian port of Anzali on the Caspian Sea was bombed. This major Caspian harbour is an important trade and logistics hub, actively used to support Russian-Iranian trade, including food," Zakharova said.
According to a statement on the ministry's website, she noted that the economic interests of Russia and other Caspian states that maintain transport links with Iran through this port are affected.
The Caspian Sea has always been perceived by countries in the region and the international community as a safe space for peace and cooperation.
"The reckless and irresponsible actions of the aggressors create the risk of drawing the Caspian states into a military conflict. We once again strongly call for an immediate cessation of military action and a resumption of efforts to achieve a political settlement of the situation in the Middle East, which is increasingly projected onto neighboring regions," Sharapova said.
India, Iran and Russia had signed the multi-modal INSTC agreement in 2000 to link Mumbai to St Petersburg bypassing the Suez Canal via Iran to boost trade between Asia and Europe. Many nations, including some Gulf states and Pakistan, have joined this project at different stages.
Over 7.5 million tonnes of cargo was transported through the trans-Caspian route by the end of 2025, Russian Deputy PM Vitaly Saveliev said at a meeting of the Transport Ministry here on Friday.
