Pakistan is facing growing pressure from the United States to cut off Iran’s land trade routes, as the Trump administration tries to extend its naval blockade of Iranian ports onto land.
This comes despite Pakistan and Iran ending the border blockade following Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meeting with senior officials in Tehran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent openly said earlier this month that Washington is working with Pakistan and Türkiye to shut these routes.
“We’re working with Pakistan and Türkiye to cut off all the land routes,” he said in an interview with Newsmax, calling it an “absolute isolation campaign” against Tehran.
Two Border Crossings Shut
About a week later, on October 17, Pakistan closed trade at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan crossings in Balochistan. Provincial authorities said there were security concerns while Iran blamed “technical problems” on the Pakistani side.
The closure left hundreds of trucks stranded and disrupted LPG imports. Pakistan imports around 7,000 tons of LPG from Iran every day, with more than 4,000 tons coming through Gabd-Rimdan alone.
AFP also reported that the US had asked all countries bordering Iran to close their crossings. Iraq shut its Sheeb crossing with Iran on October 21.
What Pakistan Says
When asked whether US pressure was behind the closure, the Foreign Office did not give a direct answer. Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan “adheres to and shall continue to adhere to all applicable sanctions regimes”.
The issue has also sparked debate online. Iranian academic Seyed Mohammad Marandi wrote on X that Pakistan is “under pressure from Trump to shut its border with Iran.”
Pakistan, which closed the Iran border last week, has now reopened the Gabd-Rimdan crossing for LPG tankers and essential goods. It is not yet clear when normal trade will fully resume.
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