TEHRAN, Sept. 3 -- Iran supports China's Belt and Road Initiative as the revival of an ancient network of trade routes connecting the east to the west, a senior Iranian official said Saturday.

Ali Akbar Velayati, Head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council, said Iran will play a crucial role in the new Silk Road plan, with its southeastern port city of Chabahar as a crucial juncture linking land routes to shipping lanes.

Iran and China have been enhancing efforts in recent months to boost cooperation in various areas, he said.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to building a Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.