Banking Sanctions Strain Iran's Exports to Pakistan as the Border Stays Open and Chinese Freight Trains Keep Arriving

Peyman Sanandaji, head of the transport commission of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, told Mehr that passenger traffic across the Iran-Pakistan land border continues without problems and that the border is not closed to trade. He said Pakistani importers must submit an electronic import form to their banking network for Iranian consignments, and that sanctions on Iranian banks have made this process difficult. If the restrictions and the lack of banking channels continue, he said, Iranian exports to Pakistan will effectively stop, while imports from Pakistan to Iran can continue.

Sanandaji added that Chinese freight trains, after crossing Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, enter Iran through the Incheh Borun and Sarakhs rail borders. Mehr published the interview on October 17, 2026.