Pakistan has formalised six overland transit routes linking its main ports to Iran's border crossings, issuing the Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026 on 25 April as a direct response to a US naval blockade that has left more than 3,000 containers stranded at Karachi port. The routes connect Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar to the Iranian border crossings of Gabd and Taftan via Balochistan, with the Gwadar-Gabd corridor cutting travel time to just two to three hours and potentially reducing transport costs by up to 55 percent. The move, announced during a visit to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, also signals a strategic pivot away from Afghanistan — with whom Pakistan's border relations have sharply deteriorated — positioning Islamabad as a key overland gateway for westbound trade into West Asia.