Pakistan Halts Iran Border Trade at Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan, Leaving About 2,000 Trucks Stranded

Pakistan has halted trade with Iran at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan crossings in Balochistan province since Saturday, October 17, 2026, Al Jazeera reported on Monday, October 19. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry says about 2,000 trucks are stuck on both sides; passenger traffic at Gabd-Rimdan has continued, according to Iran's WANA news agency. Local Pakistani officials describe the move as a temporary security and border-management measure against smuggling and militancy, while Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman attributed the halt to "technical issues" and precautionary measures. Pakistan's federal government has not commented publicly.

Al Jazeera notes that an April 25 Commerce Ministry order had allowed third-country goods to be trucked to Iran along six routes ending at Gabd and Taftan. Official bilateral trade was about $2.8 billion in 2023-24, including $684 million in Pakistani exports, per the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.