2.2.3. Relations with Iran

Relations between Pakistan and Iran have long been characterised as complicated, particularly with regards to their shared border between Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Iran’s Sistan–Balochistan province.162 Amid the heightened tensions in the Middle East during the reporting period, Iran and Pakistan were said to have sought to consolidate mutual relations.163 In August 2025 Iran and Pakistan concluded and endorsed twelve agreements designed to enhance cooperation across diverse sectors, including commercial and economic relations, transit and transport, scientific and technological collaboration, agricultural activities and tourism,164 setting a target of USD 10 billion in annual bilateral trade.165 In light of the US-Israeli attack on Iran in 2026, Pakistan adopted a cautious yet broadly supportive position of Iran, urging restraint and diplomatic engagement while refraining from direct military participation.166 By end of March 2026, it had increasingly positioned itself as a potential peace broker, leveraging its maintained communication channels with both Washington and Tehran.167

Border security remained a sensitive issue.168 Both states faced threats from cross-border militant and insurgent groups, including Baloch separatist organisations operating on both sides of the border.169 High-level defence talks in 2025 signalled efforts to strengthen military ties between the two countries, although sustained counterterrorism cooperation between Iran and Pakistan remained limited.170 Pakistan maintained heightened security deployments and surveillance in border districts to prevent spillover violence, particularly during the internal unrest in Iran in early 2026.171

For more information, see section 4.1.2. Border security, including incidents along the Durand Line (Afghanistan), the Line of Control (India), and the Pakistan–Iran border.