TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Commerce Minister Massud Mirkazemi said on Saturday that southern Iranian ports should turn into trade hub in the Persian Gulf waters.

The minister made the remarks in a meeting with officials in Khorramshahr City Council.

Before the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, southern Iranian ports, especially Khorramshahr, were the center of all trades in the Persian Gulf region but after the war, southern ports in the Persian Gulf seized the opportunity and took the leading role in regional trade exchange, he said.

All officials should strive to create suitable grounds to attract domestic and foreign investors to turn the southern ports, including Khorramshahr port, on top to turn into a trade hub in the region.

He called on the people in Khorramshahr to help revive the past status of the port.

Expressing satisfaction with the current decree issued by the president on putting Khorramshahr and Abadan ports on the list of free trade zones, he said the regional capabilities and facilities should be tapped to achieve the goal.

After the end of war 18 years go, many officials made pledges to revive the port city of Khorramshahr, but few have been fulfilled so far. Almost thirty years ago, the city was a highly popular tourist destination and trade center. It was almost completely destroyed by Saddam’s army in the early years of war and was finally freed in 1982.