Türkiye, Iraq and Pakistan Resist U.S. Push to Close Iran’s Land Borders as Trump Tightens Blockade

The Trump administration’s effort to tighten its economic blockade of Iran is running into resistance from neighboring countries, with Türkiye, Iraq and Pakistan reluctant to shut border crossings that support vital regional trade, The New York Times reported Wednesday. ⠀ Washington has pressed Iran’s neighbors to restrict cross-border commerce in an attempt to cut off routes that remain open despite the U.S. naval blockade. Türkiye has largely declined to change its border policies, while officials in Iraq and Pakistan are concerned that sweeping closures would damage their own economies. ⠀ Iraq has publicly confirmed the pressure. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the U.S. Treasury asked Baghdad to close every crossing with Iran except two, including one in the Kurdistan region. “Closing the border crossings could be a punishment for Iran, but it would also hurt Iraq,” he said. Baghdad remains in talks with Washington rather than agreeing to the demand. ⠀ Pakistan has also been reluctant to support a comprehensive closure, even as some crossings have faced restrictions. Border commerce is a source of income for communities on both sides, making a total shutdown politically and economically difficult. ⠀ The United States has meanwhile established Task Force Iron Gate, announced by Central Command on November 7. The roughly 20-person team, based in Tampa, Florida, is designed to coordinate U.S. efforts to disrupt the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned goods and illicit revenue through Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea. ⠀ The task force is not a force stationed along Iran’s borders, and the Pentagon has not detailed how it would enforce restrictions without neighboring governments’ cooperation. The initiative expands Washington’s campaign beyond the blockade at sea, but its effectiveness depends heavily on countries unwilling to sacrifice their own cross-border trade.