Late in February 2026, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to carry out retaliatory attacks across the region.
Stanislav Pritchin, head of the Central Asia sector at Russia’s Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Kursiv Uzbekistan that the escalation is unlikely to have a direct impact on Uzbekistan.
According to the expert, none of the parties involved in the conflict are major trade or investment partners for Tashkent, which limits the immediate economic consequences for the country.
However, Pritchin warned that instability in the Middle East, along with clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, could undermine several strategic infrastructure initiatives promoted by Uzbekistan.
Among the projects at risk are the Trans-Afghan railway and the North–South transport corridor, both designed to expand regional trade routes.
«In the long term it will most likely be impossible to implement these projects and achieve the target indicators that were planned when they were launched,» Pritchin said.
If those initiatives stall, Uzbekistan will continue to rely mainly on northern routes through Russia and eastern routes that pass through China. Another option remains the so-called Middle Corridor, though it is longer and less developed than the other alternatives.
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