Hundreds of trucks face severe delays at Turkey-Iran border crossing
Hundreds of trucks are waiting at the Gurbulak border crossing in Turkey's eastern Agri province, where drivers say long delays are slowing traffic into Iran. The queue has left truckers standing beside their vehicles as they wait for permission to cross. According to drivers at the scene, the disruption has sharply reduced the number of journeys they can complete.
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One driver said a route that once took 24 hours now takes a week, while another said he now makes only one journey every 40 days or two months. Drivers also said rising fuel costs have further reduced their profits, adding to the pressure created by the backlog. The crossing is one of the main land links between Turkey and Iran, making delays there significant for freight movement in the region.
The waiting line has grown as Iran relies more heavily on overland trade after disruption to maritime routes. That shift has increased the importance of border crossings such as Gurbulak for commercial traffic. For truckers, the delays are not only a logistical problem but also a financial one, because longer turnaround times mean fewer trips and lower earnings.
The situation also highlights the wider role of land transport in regional trade between the two countries. When maritime routes are disrupted, pressure can move quickly onto border infrastructure and customs systems. In this case, the backlog appears to be affecting both the pace of deliveries and the income of drivers who depend on regular cross-border work.
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Turkey and Iran have long maintained active overland trade links, and crossings in eastern Turkey are important for freight moving between the two markets. The current delays show how vulnerable that trade can be when traffic volumes rise or processing slows. They also underline the dependence of many transport workers on predictable border clearance times.
It remains unclear from the available information what is causing the delays at Gurbulak or how long the queue may continue. No official explanation was included in the material provided. The main issue to watch is whether the backlog eases or whether further disruption affects trade flows and truckers' incomes in the days ahead.
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