The Gulf states are an economic lifeline for Iran
If the nuclear deal is revived, smuggling and sanctions-busting may give way to bigger business
IN DAYLIGHT HOURS the boats leaving Khasab’s port motor off to fish, or ferry tourists to isolated fjords. After nightfall the traffic turns north. Just 100km separate this Omani town from the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran (see map), an hour or two’s journey by chugging dhow. This has made it a long-standing hub for smuggling—although that term suggests a level of skulduggery hardly apparent in Khasab’s sleepy port (pictured above). Authorities tolerate the trade, so long as it happens after dark.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The dhow usually wins”
From the March 19th 2022 edition
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