The recent achievements of the Pakistan-Iran meetings can also be a potential catalyst for strengthening multidimensional geoeconomic and geopolitical relations.
The recent visit comes at a critical juncture after the 12-day war and the Israeli attack on Iran in June 2025, and represents a significant effort to strengthen ties with Islamabad amid a changing geopolitical landscape.
In the past few months, Pakistan, along with Russia, China and Algeria, has firmly supported and backed Tehran in the UN Security Council, condemned the Israeli attack on Iran, supported Iran’s right to develop a peaceful nuclear capability, and held extensive consultations with the United States on Tehran. Many in Tehran are now expecting Pakistan to play a positive role in preventing the activation of the so-called “trigger mechanism” against Iran.
Pakistan even sees itself in a position to reduce the gaps and play a mediating role and reduce tensions between Iran and the United States. From this perspective, its success in this role could enhance Islamabad’s international standing and have a positive impact on efforts to reduce regional tension.
With positive relations between Tehran and Riyadh, Pakistan has found itself in a better balance and closer ties with Iran. In 2025, Iran and Pakistan have adopted common and growing positions on regional and international issues, from defending Palestine and promoting regional peace and sustainable development, etc.
Pakistan’s foreign policy is gradually adapting to a multipolar world. Pakistan is trying to maintain its independence from US pressure in its foreign policy, not to participate in US plans to create a new order in the Middle East, and not to be part of the Western strategy of “isolating Iran.”
Both Iran and Pakistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Pakistan has submitted its formal request to join BRICS. Pakistan wants Tehran’s support in joining BRICS.
Iran provided a lot of help in the Indo-Pakistan war (1965) and the crisis of 1971 (the independence of Bangladesh). The national anthem of Pakistan is in the Persian language, and the Shia community in Pakistan is about 15 to 20 percent of the population.
Many in Pakistan have anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments. Many are also sensitive to the growing “India-Israel axis” and are calling for coordination from Iran and Pakistan. Hence, the government’s approach towards Iran has also become more hawkish.
In June 2025, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described Israel as a state with “hegemonic intent” whose recent actions against Iran are “very dangerous for the region.”
There are some concerns in Pakistan about the changing dynamics along the Pakistan-Iran border, the entry of new state and non-state actors, and Israel’s role in separatist narratives.
Pakistan’s solidarity with Iran also has strategic and security roots and concerns. Apart from the April 2024 security cooperation agreement to enhance counter-terrorism efforts, the “zero tolerance for all forms of terrorism” approach to the nearly 960-kilometer border between the two countries includes new agreements to improve border control, and exchange security information, increase the level of coordination between the two sides, explore “legal and orderly trade mechanisms” to combat smuggling, and integrate border management. For Pakistan, further conflict between Iran and Israel could potentially spill over into the country. Any weakening of border control by Iran could be an opportunity for extremist groups operating in the Iran-Pakistan border areas.
In another dimension, the Iranian president and military officials met with senior Pakistani military leaders during their visit. Therefore, the possibility of transferring Pakistani-Chinese military technologies to Iran, cooperation in the field of defense technologies, and strengthening the military capabilities of the two countries, defense cooperation including signing military cooperation agreements, joint production of defense equipment, exchange of information, and conducting joint exercises, has increased.
During the recent official visit of the Iranian President to Pakistan, an important step was taken towards the development of bilateral relations between the two countries by signing 12 cooperation documents in various fields, including tourism, agriculture, industry, science and technology, transport and transit, trade and economy.
The recent presence of ministers and economic officials in the Iranian delegation, the promise of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries to $10 billion, considering the real economic capacities of the countries, geographical proximity and complementary economic needs, the agreement to establish a “joint free zone”, the economic development of border areas will provide for the expansion of trade relations.
In its 2025 vision, the government of Pakistan has put the modernization of transportation and regional connectivity on its schedule. Beneficial links between the ports of Gwadar and Chabahar. Completing the railway connection between these two ports could link INSTC and CPEC. The completion of the INSTC corridor chain and serious pursuit of projects like the Chabahar-Zahedan railway in Iran could benefit Pakistan as well.
Joining the INSTC and diversifying logistics routes, Pakistan’s commitment to exploring the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul railway projects, upgrading the Quetta-Zahedan railway to improve regional connectivity, could offer a way to create multipolar trade relations and organize an East-oriented trade network.
While a regional war could hit energy imports and create new challenges in Pakistan’s economic relations with its Gulf partners, Tehran could also be an opportunity for Pakistan in energy security, multilateral energy imports and cooperation (centered on Iran and Russia), and expanding trade with China.
Also, recent achievements on the axes of facilitating barter trade, finding ways to manage sanctions, the need to hold a new meeting of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission, and the intention to finalize a free trade agreement are potential catalysts for boosting bilateral trade.
Up to one million Pakistani pilgrims travel to Iran, and Iraq every year. Apart from the formation of a trilateral working group between Pakistan, Iran and Iraq to curb illegal migration, the plan to launch a shipping service to facilitate the travel of pilgrims and expand flights will help strengthen the interaction.
Outlook
The “maximum pressure” campaign by the United States remains a significant obstacle to large-scale economic projects, especially in the energy sector, and could hurt relations. Apart from the recent visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Islamabad in early August 2025, some in the Iranian parliament are looking forward to a new chapter in Tehran-Islamabad interactions in regional, bilateral and international dimensions and moving towards a comprehensive strategic agreement.
Meanwhile, relations between the two countries in 2025 Pakistan, despite some considerations, obstacles and limitations, have seen significant growth in various areas. The recent achievements of the Pakistan-Iran meetings can also be a potential catalyst for strengthening multidimensional geoeconomic and geopolitical relations.
Samyar Rostami, а political observer and senior researcher in international relations
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