Human Rights & Public Liberties

Human Rights & Public Liberties

Newsletter
Published on: 13 Jan, 2021

Pakistan and Iran Navigate a Turbulent Neighbourhood

Published on: 23 June, 2025
Pakistan-Iran border has morphed into a strategic fulcrum—where diplomacy, defence, and economic cooperation must be delicately balanced/Agencies/Map: Al Jazeera.

Pakistan-Iran border has morphed into a strategic fulcrum—where diplomacy, defence, and economic cooperation must be delicately balanced/Agencies/Map: Al Jazeera.

As military tensions escalate between Israel, the United States, and Iran, the 900-kilometre border between Pakistan and Iran has become more than just a line on a map—it is now a frontier of heightened geopolitical consequence. With the spectre of regional instability looming large, both countries are recalibrating their bilateral ties, seeking to insulate themselves from the fallout while capitalising on shared interests.

Bound by centuries of historical, cultural, and economic interdependence, Pakistan and Iran are engaging in renewed diplomatic overtures. Islamabad, long caught between its alliance with Washington and its proximity to Tehran, is treading carefully. Meanwhile, Tehran, under increasing international pressure, views closer ties with Pakistan as a strategic necessity, not merely a matter of neighbourly goodwill.

The recent strikes on Iran have only deepened this imperative. For Pakistan, stability along its western frontier is critical—not only for internal security, but for its broader ambitions as a regional connector, particularly through initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. For Iran, bolstering relations with its eastern neighbour offers a rare opening amid deepening isolation.

In this climate of tension and uncertainty, the Pakistan-Iran border has morphed into a strategic fulcrum—where diplomacy, defence, and economic cooperation must be delicately balanced. The stakes are high, and both sides seem to understand that in a region increasingly defined by conflict, their mutual stability may prove to be a rare and valuable constant.

Agencies.