TEHRAN, April 2 (UPI) -- Logistics companies based in Germany approached Iran on shipping non-military equipment through its territory to Afghanistan, Iranian media reported Thursday.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that two unnamed private companies in Germany are looking to Iran as an alternative route for shipments of non-military goods to NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Taliban insurgents have launched repeated attacks on supply routes into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Taliban militants in March stormed a trucking depot in Peshawar, leaving more than 20 NATO vehicles in flames. Attacks in February briefly closed traffic through the sensitive Khyber Pass for weeks.
The bulk of U.S. supplies to Afghanistan move through the Khyber Pass from Pakistan.
The IRNA report cites "a German army spokesman" who said NATO officials and the German government were monitoring the talks with Iran.
Iran has emerged as a potential contributor to the international effort in Afghanistan. At a major strategic conference in the Netherlands on Tuesday, the Islamic republic stressed the importance of curbing poppy cultivation and other matters in Afghanistan but opposed a buildup of foreign troops.
