Iran Shipping Lines
 |
|
| Government owned | |
| Industry |
Shipping Shipyard |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Tehran, Iran |
|
Area served
|
Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, Yellow Sea |
|
Key people
|
Mohammad Saeedi (Managing Director) |
| Website | www.irislgroup.com |
The maritime fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL Group) comprises 115 ocean-going vessels, with the total capacity of 3.3 million tons deadweight (DWT). The ownership structure of the fleet comprises 87 ocean-going vessels in IRISL and 28 different types of ships under the flag of subsidiaries, including Khazar Shipping, Valfajr as well as Iran-India Shipping Companies. They are manned by 6,000 Iranian personnel including shore staff, masters, deck and engine officers as well as ratings, who work under the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, international waters and various ports of the world.
IRISL has been sanctioned by the U.S., UN, EU and other parties for its role in advancing Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. However, the return of the line to the world market was expected by early winter 2016, as a result of the Iran nuclear deal between Iran, the P5+1/EU3+3 powers, and the EU in August 2015. IRISL has also announced its plans to become one of the world's top ten shipping lines by 2020.
Due to the increase in the volume of imports into Iran since early 1960, consequence of which was to employ many foreign flag vessels to trade within Iranian ports caused some concerns to the country. In addition, the need and importance of a regular carriage of goods by sea and considering peculiar geographical characteristic, accessibility to open seas, with having had long water boundary and water ways to and from Iran made the necessity in initiating a research study to establish the first and biggest integrated national shipping lines. The result of the research study, which was started in 1961, was approved by the first general assembly meeting to establish Iranian National Shipping Company on August 1967 with the name of Aria Shipping Lines.
Aria Shipping started its activity in 1967 by two small-size vessels with capacity of 1,000 and 1,550 tonnes in Persian Gulf area and 4 ocean-going vessels, namely, Aria Sep, Aria Far, Aria Naz and Aria Gaam with the total capacity of 61,252 tonnes that had been put into service between the Persian Gulf-Europe, Asia and America. By the end of 1978 the number of Aria shipping vessels was 42, with the total capacity of 525,000 DWT, which proved the increasing of the sea transportation volume by Aria shipping lines and its effective role in Iran economy.
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Wikipedia