Pakistan Opens Six Corridors to Iran
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- Pakistan announced the opening of six overland trade routes linking its ports of Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar to Iranian border crossings at Gabd and Taftan, a move timed as the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz limits Iran’s maritime access.
- Gwadar–Gabd corridor cuts travel time for goods from Pakistani ports to the Iranian border from roughly 16–18 hours to just two to three hours, dramatically lowering transport costs.
- Iran’s economy has been hit by the U.S. Hormuz blockade, with its currency plunging to historic lows, oil output falling, and widespread job losses.
- United States sanctions permit non‑U.S. entities to export most consumer and industrial goods to Iran as long as end users are not designated, but Pakistan must ensure compliance, which could raise high costs.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R‑SC) called Pakistan “untrustworthy,” citing reports that Iran allowed Iranian military aircraft to use Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase and other fields to shield them from U.S.-Israeli strikes.
- Arhama Siddiqa of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad says the corridors are a “measure aimed at strategic relevance at a moment of regional disruption,” positioning Pakistan as a stabilising land bridge when maritime chokepoints are vulnerable.
- Ibraheem Bahiss of the International Crisis Group notes that the routes let Pakistan bypass Afghanistan and connect to Central Asian energy markets, a shift driven by Afghanistan’s instability and the need for alternative trade pathways.
Why it matters: Pakistan gains a new revenue stream and strategic leverage by becoming a land conduit for Iranian goods, while Iran eases some pressure from the Hormuz blockade; the United States faces a complex enforcement landscape as sanctions‑compliant trade surges, and regional rivals see Pakistan’s Balochistan development as a potential counter to militant financing.
