Kazakhstan and the Iran-Israel War: Navigating Risks, Opportunities, and Strategic Neutrality |
Kazakhstan, a landlocked Central Asian state with a long-standing multi-vector foreign policy, has been indirectly affected by the 2025–2026 escalation between Israel, the United States, and Iran. The conflict has created both risks and opportunities for Astana. Kazakhstan has tried to preserve pragmatic neutrality while deepening ties with Israel, Gulf states, and the West, and at the same time managing its economic and transit links with Iran.
Historical and Diplomatic Context
Kazakhstan has long balanced relations with both Iran and Israel. Diplomatic ties with Israel date back to 1992 and have focused mainly on economic, technological, and security cooperation. Bilateral trade reached around $236 million in 2024, with Kazakhstan supplying oil, metals, and agricultural products, while importing Israeli technology in agriculture, water management, defence, and cybersecurity. Kazakhstan’s participation in the Abraham Accords framework also signals support for regional normalisation, without forcing Astana to sever ties with Iran.
Relations with Iran are shaped more by geography and transit. Iran gives Kazakhstan access to warm-water ports through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway. In December 2025, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Kazakhstan, where the two sides signed agreements to raise trade toward $3 billion, double freight volumes by 2030, and develop a terminal at Bandar Abbas. Kazakhstan has also used Iranian ports such as Amirabad to export grain, especially wheat and barley. Before the war, bilateral trade stood at around $430 million in 2025, with Kazakh exports to Iran heavily concentrated in agriculture.
Astana has also hosted Iranian nuclear talks in the past, reflecting its preference for a “both-and” approach rather than an “either-or” alignment. This is consistent with Kazakhstan’s broader handling of difficult regional conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war.
Kazakhstan’s Official Position
Kazakhstan has maintained formal neutrality, calling for de-escalation, diplomacy, and respect for international law. It has offered to host peace talks, expressed........