Pakistan suspends Iran border trade, amid violence on both sides

Islamabad cites security concerns, while Tehran points to technical issues as Pakistan mediates between Iran and the US. Save Share Islamabad, Pakistan —Pakistan has halted trade with Iran at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan crossings in Balochistan province, leaving freight stranded on both sides of the border. The suspension decision emerged on Saturday, as the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) in the provincial capital said about 2,000 trucks were stuck on both sides. Passenger traffic at Gabd-Rimdan has continued, reported the Iranian news agency WANA. Pakistan’s federal government has not commented publicly. Al Jazeera received no response from authorities in Balochistan, as both Islamabad and Tehran have offered different explanations for the border closure. Bakhtiar Ismail, deputy commissioner of Chagai district, where the Taftan crossing is located, described the move as a security measure. “Pakistan-Iran border closure is a temporary measure to improve border management to support counterterrorism efforts. The border will be opened as soon as effective measures are in place,” he wrote on X on Saturday. Shahid Rind, an aide to Balochistan’s chief minister on political and media affairs, wrote on X the same day that the closure was meant to address security concerns, prevent smuggling and make the border system more effective. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, gave a different explanation. “Due to certain technical issues and the necessity of implementing precautionary measures, cross-border movement and exchanges have been temporarily halted,” he said, according to the IRNA state news agency. Imtiaz Baloch, a Quetta-based independent researcher who focuses on security in Balochistan, said security might be only part of the explanation. “Although Pakistani officials have cited security concerns, the decision to close the border appears to be motivated by broader strategic considerations, with security as a possible factor amid economic sanctions on Iran,” he told Al Jazeera. Javad Heiran-Nia, who heads the Persian Gulf Studies Group at the Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies in Iran, said Tehran’s wording could cover several issues. “In my view, these expressions could refer to operational and administrative problems at border crossings, customs procedures, the verification of trade documents, financial transactions, or tighter security controls,” he told Al Jazeera....