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[Iran's Land Breakthrough Hindered: Border Congestion and Rising Costs Weaken Blockade Response] 1. Iran had hoped to break through the US maritime blockade by expanding land trade, but actual progress has been difficult. Large numbers of truck drivers are stranded at multiple land borders, bureaucratic procedures are cumbersome, costs are rising, and some problems stem from Iran's own management. Similar congestion has also occurred at borders with neighboring countries such as Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, further narrowing Iran's available "economic relief valves." 2. Some perishable goods have spoiled due to delays, and industrial and energy goods are also stuck at the border. The course of the Persian Gulf economic war largely depends on land export capacity. Saudi Arabia is shipping more oil westward by land, and the US Navy is assisting some Gulf states in continuing to transport goods through the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's alternative routes are progressing slowly. US sanctions and strikes against Iranian oil tankers have shrunk maritime exports and also impacted the import of basic goods—most of which normally require clearance at blocked ports. Although humanitarian and food supplies are nominally exempt, shipping companies are generally unwilling to carry them, major Iranian commercial ports are stagnant, and large numbers of containers are stranded overseas. 3. Iran is attempting to shift to alternative routes such as the Caspian Sea and railways. Officials say that transshipment through the Caspian Sea has increased, and imports of grain and edible oil from Russia have risen. Freight rates between Tehran and China have also increased. However, these alternative routes are equally vulnerable: neighboring countries have temporarily closed border freight stations due to security concerns, forcing some agricultural shipments to be diverted. 4. Before the latest closures, land borders were already in disarray. Some major border crossings saw a surge in daily truck traffic, overwhelming customs authorities. Thousands of trucks were stranded on the Turkish side, with delays lasting weeks; hundreds queued year-round on the Pakistani side, but only a small number were allowed to pass each day; long waits were also observed at the Afghan border. Drivers reported a lack of basic safety measures in the high temperatures and unusually high crossing fees, but the countries involved denied any new restrictions. The Turkmenistan route, connecting to the Chinese market, faced problems with insufficient storage and irregular procedures. 5. Rising costs are further exacerbating inflation in Iran. Industry insiders say that land bottlenecks and detours can account for up to a third of the retail price of everyday goods in some cases; some chambers of commerce estimate that lockdowns cause huge additional expenses each year, with land container shipping costs several times higher than sea freight. A large portion of these costs are passed on to consumers. Official data shows that food inflation has risen to extremely high levels.