Afghanistan has increasingly turned to Iran for trade routes to reduce dependence on Pakistan, citing Afghan officials, Reuters.

Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for Ministry of Industry and Commerce, told Reuters that in the past six months, trade with Iran reached $1.6 billion, surpassing $1.1 billion in trade with Pakistan during the same period.

Taliban officials have given traders three months to settle accounts with Pakistan and find alternative routes, signaling a strategic shift in regional commerce.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban deputy head for economic affairs, recently criticized the quality of Pakistani pharmaceuticals, stating imports should be halted to prioritize better standards.

Chabahar port in Iran, operational since a 2017 transport agreement with India, offers Afghan traders updated scanning equipment, 30% tariff discounts, 75% warehouse fee reductions, and 55% lower anchorage costs.

Analysts say the move reflects Afghanistan's broader strategy to diversify trade, strengthen ties with Iran and Central Asian countries, and mitigate Pakistan's historic dominance in Afghanistan commerce.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has downplayed the impact, asserting Islamabad will not suffer economically from the reduction in trade with Afghanistan, despite being Afghanistan's largest trading partner in recent years.

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