The August 2025 visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Islamabad represents a pivotal moment in the evolving and complex relationship between Iran and Pakistan.
Beyond mere geographic proximity, a new chapter is unfolding in which both states seek to consolidate a strategic axis that integrates security, economic development, and regional presence in an increasingly competitive and fragmented geopolitical landscape, The Caspian Post reports citing Iranian media.
This article aims to unpack the bilateral relationship between the two countries, as well as the challenges that lie ahead-both on a bilateral and regional level.
Historical roots: A relationship shaped by cooperation and complexity
To understand the present dynamics of Iran-Pakistan relations, it is essential to revisit their shared history-a history that combines moments of cooperation, tension, and coexistence within a shifting and often volatile geopolitical context. Iran was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan’s independence in 1947, a gesture that laid the foundation for an officially cordial relationship that has persisted-with ups and downs-over time.
In the 1960s, for instance, Iran supported Pakistan in its conflicts with India, supplying weapons and fuel at preferential prices. However, the 1979 Islamic Revolution profoundly transformed the region and redefined bilateral relations. As Pakistan deepened its ties with Saudi Arabia and strengthened its Sunni identity, Iran consolidated its Shi'a one, shaping an ideologically divergent landscape that would influence political and social dynamics. This divergence, though rooted in confessional difference, operated primarily as a political and strategic tension without completely undermining pragmatic cooperation.
The shared border between Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan has long been a volatile region, affected by insurgent movements and illicit trafficking. These challenges have required both countries to grapple with similar issues-from internal security to the containment of extremism-though their responses have varied depending on national contexts and priorities.
A particularly complex episode occurred during the Afghan civil war in the 1990s, when Iran and Pakistan supported opposing factions: Iran backed the Northern Alliance while Pakistan supported the Taliban. This phase highlighted deep strategic differences but did not sever diplomatic and commercial ties, which continued to function despite tensions.
Cultural and identity-based dimensions have served as anchors in this relationship. Islamic communities in both countries, historical ties, and cultural proximity provide a framework that enables gestures of solidarity even in difficult times. This cultural foundation, coupled with economic and strategic realities, points to a multifaceted relationship that privileges coexistence over confrontation.
Security and border stability: A structural challenge
The nearly 900-kilometer-long border between Iran and Pakistan has traditionally been a space of vulnerability and challenge. Terrorist groups operating in Balochistan, such as Jaish al-Adl and the Balochistan Liberation Army, represent a persistent threat that transcends national boundaries and has shaped the bilateral agenda for decades. During the recent visit, both governments emphasized the urgency of strengthening security and intelligence cooperation, recognizing that managing these terrorist forces and the associated violence is central to regional stability.
This intergovernmental commitment is not only a response to immediate threats; it is part of a long-term strategy aimed at transforming a historically porous border into a space of shared control and management. Coordination on interceptions, intelligence sharing, and joint operations signals a pathway toward reducing structural violence that affects local populations and hampers any vision of sustainable economic development.
By adopting this strategy, both countries demonstrate political will to overcome historic mistrust, even as unresolved tensions persist regarding certain insurgent factions and complex ethno-cultural questions. Nevertheless, their shared vision of the problem and its solutions suggests a level of cooperation that the bilateral relationship had rarely, if ever, reached before.
The economic push: Aiming for integration and complementarity
The alliance extends beyond security. The stated goal of both governments to increase bilateral trade from $3 billion to $10 billion highlights the scope of their shared ambition. The signing of twelve agreements and memoranda of understanding-covering sectors such as energy, technology, tourism, and transportation-underscores their explicit intention to overcome longstanding barriers.
This commercial expansion responds to a dual imperative: on the one hand, fostering internal economic growth to counter international pressure and sanctions; on the other, building regional economic networks that offer new routes for trade and investment. Particularly noteworthy is the focus on improving infrastructure and facilitating cross-border trade-efforts aimed at transforming the border from a limit into a dynamic space of exchange and progress.
For Iran, collaboration with Pakistan offers an opportunity to break through the economic siege imposed by Western sanctions, creating alternative access points to markets and energy supplies. For Pakistan, it is a chance to diversify trade relations and bolster its status as a strategic hub in the region. The complementarity is clear, and both states seem to understand that their economic futures are closely interlinked.
Geo-strategic context: Between rivalry and cooperation
It is important to recognize that Iran-Pakistan relations unfold within a regional chessboard marked by overlapping power struggles. Pakistan's growing closeness with the United States-driven by renewed interest in commercial and security cooperation-adds a layer of complexity. Islamabad is attempting, in classic terms of pragmatic foreign policy, to balance its ties with global powers while preserving traditional relationships with neighbors, especially Iran.
For Tehran, this Pakistani ambivalence presents an undeniable challenge, demanding a flexible policy that minimizes risk while maximizing opportunity. Pezeshkian’s visit can therefore also be read as a diplomatic move to consolidate shared priorities and prevent unwanted strategic frictions from undermining a relationship both sides aim to deepen.
Moreover, with China’s growing presence and ongoing competition between the United States and regional powers, Iran and Pakistan are seeking to neutralize external pressure by building a pragmatic bloc grounded in common interests. Their alliance could serve as a meaningful counterweight amid rapid regional changes and the uncertainty stemming from the fragmentation of traditional power spaces.
Identity, culture, and social fabric: The link that sustains the alliance
What sets the Iran-Pakistan relationship apart is the depth of its cultural and Islamic interconnectedness-a factor that transcends state politics or economic calculus. The visit was also used to highlight these ties, drawing attention to the countries’ shared history, both Shi'a and Sunni Islamic traditions, and the sociocultural resonance of such links in legitimizing political agreements.
This cultural substratum acts as a stabilizing principle and a narrative of social cohesion that helps strengthen mutual trust. In a region where identities are often fragmented and politicized under the weight of external interests, recognition and respect for shared traditions add both an ethical and symbolic dimension to the alliance.
The articulation of these elements is a vital strategic component. It helps shield the relationship from international volatility and provides a platform for dialogue that can transcend short-term political or strategic friction.
Toward a pragmatic and sovereign alliance
In the face of various complexities, the Iran-Pakistan alliance represents a serious effort to construct a strategic and pragmatic cooperation model. It is not based on utopias or maximalist rhetoric but on a clear recognition of the need to engage in mutual benefit and shared resilience.
This model seems to embrace sovereignty not as isolation but as autonomy from external influence, expanding national capacities through regional collaboration. The effective management of the border, increased trade, and the leveraging of cultural and historical solidarity point to a roadmap that fuses the tangible with the symbolic.
As both countries move forward with this project, they are creating an alternative narrative in a region often defined by hegemony and fragmentation. This narrative aspires to build a space of balance where, without erasing their differences, shared interests and projects can coexist-shaping regional power dynamics on their own terms.
