Washington, We Have a Problem: Iran's Neighbors Refuse American Pressure to Close Their Borders

The United States' efforts to tighten the economic blockade on Iran are facing resistance from its neighbors. According to a report in The New York Times, Turkey, Iraq, and Pakistan are refusing American pressure to close their land borders, fearing economic, social, and political repercussions.

The United States' efforts to tighten the economic blockade on Iran are facing resistance from its neighbors. According to a report in The New York Times, countries such as Turkey, Iraq, and Pakistan are refusing to comply with American pressure to close their land borders with Iran, as part of the recently announced 'Iron Gate' task force. Sources familiar with the matter said the neighbors fear economic, social, and political damage. For Iraq, the danger is particularly severe: it relies on Iran for more than a third of its gas consumption, and closing the border could stir unrest among militias along a 1,600-kilometer mountainous border. Pakistan, whose official annual trade with Iran amounts to three billion dollars, has opened and closed some border crossings in recent weeks for security reasons. Turkey has largely refused to change its border policies. Iran, for its part, is working to exert its own pressure on neighboring countries, exploiting the presence of regional players like China and Russia that are still willing to cooperate with it.