THE Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group (IRISL) has reported a major rise in its handling of containers in the current calendar year compared to the year that ended in late March 2024, reports Tehran's Mehr News Agency.

The IRISL said it had handled 100,000 more TEU this calendar year, allowing it to significantly boost its annual box handling record.

The company said the rise in container handling had come despite the continued pressure of US sanctions on Iran's economy and its trade relations with the rest of the world, Press TV reported.

It said there has been a major rise in container activity in Chabahar, which is Iran's only ocean port on the Sea of Oman, adding that container volume in the port would reach nearly 100,000 units at the end of the current calendar year in late March.

The IRISL said box volume in Chabahar is expected to rise by 50 per cent in the next calendar year, adding that the shipping company has also expanded its activity in major regional and international ports, including in Russia and in countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States bloc in the Eurasian region.