Iran, Pakistan Inaugurate Joint Projects in Conflict Area

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hand with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, Thursday, May 18, 2023 (Iranian Presidency)
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hand with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, Thursday, May 18, 2023 (Iranian Presidency)
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Iran, Pakistan Inaugurate Joint Projects in Conflict Area

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hand with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, Thursday, May 18, 2023 (Iranian Presidency)
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hand with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during an inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border in Pishin, border of Pakistan-Iran, Thursday, May 18, 2023 (Iranian Presidency)

Leaders of Iran and Pakistan jointly inaugurated the first marketplace and a power transmission line along their shared border in a significant move aimed at boosting regional trade and energy cooperation as relations warm between the two countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced that Iran will supply 100 megawatts of electricity daily to Balochistan’s Gwadar.

For years, Iran has shown interest in the port of Gwadar, which is a Beijing-funded infrastructure and part of China’s $65 billion Belt and Road Initiative.

The Pakistani prime minister made the announcement at a media briefing after he and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated the transmission line project and the marketplace at the Mand-Pishin border crossing point.

Located in the remote village of Pashin in Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province, the marketplace is the first of six to be constructed along the Pakistan-Iran border under a 2012 agreement signed by the two sides.

In a televised meeting, Sharif, sitting next to Raisi, assured him Pakistan would do its best to improve security along the Iranian border. He added that both sides agreed to enhance trade and economic ties, and extended an invitation to Raisi to visit the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, according to AP.

For his part, Raisi described the relations between the two nations as “exemplary.”

He said the cooperation between Iran and Pakistan can establish stable security in the region and the cooperation between the two countries in the economic, commercial, and scientific and technology fields can contribute to the development of the two countries.

The Border Sustenance Marketplace is located in the village of Pashin in the Baluchistan province, southwest of Pakistan.

Iran-Pakistan relations have been contentious because of cross-border attacks by Pakistani militants along their shared border.

Small separatist groups have been behind a long-running insurgency calling for Baluchistan’s independence from the central government in Islamabad. Pakistani anti-Iran militants have also targeted the Iranian border in recent years, increasing the friction between the two countries.

This is the first visit of its kind since 2013, when the two nations signed an agreement allowing Pakistan to import Iranian gas despite American opposition. Tehran at the time said that “the West has no right to block the project.” The agreement could not be implemented because of US sanctions on Iran.

“Today, the two countries see the border as an opportunity and not a threat, and consider any insecurity on the other side as insecurity for themselves,” Raisi said.

 



Ghalibaf: Any Attack on Iran Will Ignite the Entire Region

Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
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Ghalibaf: Any Attack on Iran Will Ignite the Entire Region

Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).
Iranians display cartoon models representing the US president and the Israeli prime minister during a march in Tehran on March 28, 2025 (AFP).

Iran has warned that any US attack on its territory could lead to the explosion of the entire Middle East, hinting at potential strikes on American bases in the region.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Friday: “If the United States carries out its military threat against Iran due to the failure to reach a new nuclear agreement, its bases in the region will not be safe.” He added: “Any attack on Iran will mean the explosion of the entire region,” according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran claimed that it had exercised “restraint and balance” in its response to a message from US President Donald Trump while reaffirming its rejection of military threats and its willingness for indirect talks with Washington.
Iranian state television quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that Iran had sent its response to Trump’s message through Oman. He reiterated that Iran’s policy is to avoid direct negotiations with the US while it continues its “maximum pressure” campaign and military threats. However, Araghchi noted that Iran “may engage in indirect negotiations with the US, as it has done in the past.”
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, described Iran’s response to Trump’s message as “measured,” stating that it included “a willingness for indirect dialogue.” Shamkhani, who oversees Iran’s nuclear negotiations, explained that the country’s specialized agencies had carefully crafted the response, ensuring that Iran’s stance was conveyed clearly while maintaining diplomatic restraint.
“Iran has always conducted indirect talks with the Americans, and if such talks are based on mutual respect, we are open to taking further steps toward negotiation,” Shamkhani said.
He added: “We take every threat seriously—not out of surrender, but to confront it. The Iranian people have never and will never accept submission. We are confident that the United States has no choice but to adopt a fair approach in any dialogue with Iran.”
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, another senior adviser to Khamenei, expressed optimism about the current diplomatic path between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.
“We will reach a conclusion, and we are optimistic. The agreement must be acceptable to both parties, not just one,” Larijani stated.
Commenting on US threats of military action against Iran, Larijani remarked: “Those who intend to act do not talk too much.”
Ghalibaf also criticized Trump’s message, stating that it did not contain “any logical discussion about lifting sanctions,” according to Tasnim.