The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia

Why Is the US Eyeing Gwadar Port?

Will Washington translate its interest in Gwadar and the region around it into a policy to establish its presence there?

Berths and cranes at Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

In May, Gwadar Port handled a 53,277-ton steel billet shipment aboard a Chinese vessel whose original destination was Sohar Port in Oman. The ship was diverted to Gwadar and the Pakistani port benefited. Since the start of the U.S. war on Iran in February, Gwadar Port has welcomed several such diverted transshipments.

Over the last decade, Gwadar has struggled to attract business and maintain its economic viability on the global stage. Despite funding from China for its construction, development and connectivity as part of the larger China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is only in recent months that Gwadar is attracting business and seeing increased activity.  The U.S. war in Iran and the uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz has brought in business to Gwadar that otherwise may have gone to other ports in the region.

Discussions about Gwadar Port’s potential often focus on the economic benefits to be reaped. However, it is Gwadar’s strategic location and relevance, which cannot be measured solely through the volume of cargo it handles, that makes it a prize attracting several countries.

Gwadar is situated just outside the Strait of Hormuz and across the Arabian Peninsula. Its location has been historically important from a security, trade, and geopolitical perspective.

The Iran-U.S. war has dealt a severe blow to security in the region, increased maritime trade disruptions, and thrown up geopolitical challenges. For Gwadar, the war has brought more business and, importantly, made it the focus of interest of near and distant countries. One country whose interest in Gwadar has grown since the Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran started is the United States

Washington recognized Gwadar’s importance long before Beijing’s investment in the port and CPEC began. It was, in fact, the U.S. Geological Survey of Balochistan that identified Gwadar in 1954 as a suitable location for the development of a seaport. At the time, even though it was undeveloped and small, Gwadar was already an active seaport along the Arabian Sea and was part of the maritime trade networks of the region. It was an Omani enclave until 1958, and was later transferred to Pakistan.

The United States has long considered the maritime routes in the Gulf and surrounding waters as among the most strategically important in the world, particularly because of their role in global energy supplies and shipping.

Therefore, the U.S. has maintained its presence in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Peninsula since the 1940s. The U.S. Navy first established a regular presence in West Asia through the creation of the U.S. Navy Middle East Force (MEF) in 1949. Since then, the U.S. has established its naval presence throughout the region.

One of the closest such arrangements to Gwadar is in Oman. In 2019, the United States and Oman signed a deal in which Oman allowed the U.S. Navy to use the ports of Duqm and Salalah.

Hence, Gwadar’s........

© The Diplomat