Pakistan reopens Iran border after weeklong closure

Pakistan reopened the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing with Iran on Saturday, restoring cross-border trade after a weeklong suspension that left trucks carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and essential food supplies stranded on both sides.

Border authorities allowed commercial vehicles with consignment notes dated October 16 or earlier to cross through Gate 250 in Gwadar. The decision has enabled stalled import and export operations to resume following the suspension imposed on October 17.

Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that trade activities resumed on Saturday morning. He said trucks and other vehicles carrying commercial goods had been permitted to travel between Pakistan and Iran.

Kalmati welcomed the reopening, saying the move would provide immediate relief to traders, transporters and businesses affected by the prolonged closure. He added that the restoration of trade could help ease Pakistan’s LPG shortage and reduce pressure on energy and food prices.

The reopening followed a review of the security situation by local authorities. Additional security personnel were deployed to protect commercial vehicles and ensure the safe movement of trade convoys.

The border closure had raised security concerns after unidentified gunmen attacked freight vehicles stranded near the Gabd-Rimdan crossing on Thursday. The attackers set dozens of trucks on fire and damaged several others, further disrupting commercial activity in the area.

The affected vehicles had been waiting since October 17, when Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce suspended trade through the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings. The ministry withdrew an earlier trade order issued on October 3 with immediate effect but did not provide a specific reason for the suspension.

The resumption of operations at Gabd-Rimdan is expected to help clear the backlog of commercial vehicles and restore the movement of essential goods between the two neighbouring countries. However, the pace of recovery will depend on security arrangements and the clearance of pending consignments.