Iran mulling over 5 new free economic zones

Iran's Presidential Advisor and Secretary of Free Zones Coordination Council Akbar Torkan announced on Tuesday that the government of President Hassan Rouhani plans to establish five new free trade and industrial zones. “A serious proposal has been made to turn all (Iranian) islands in the Persian Gulf into free zones,” Torkan said, addressing a news conference on Tuesday, adding, “Proposals have also been raised for starting free zones in Sarakhs, Jask, Mehran, Baneh and Marivan.” He added that the proposals will be studied at the secretariat of the Free Zones Coordination Council. Iran currently has the six free zones of Kish, Qeshm, Arvand, Chabahar, Aras, Anzali. Iran is located in the international corridor with the Iranian part of the corridor starting in Chabahar in the south and stretching up to the city of Mashhad.