The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia

Why Pakistan Is Shrugging Off Trump’s Latest Iran Sanctions

A Pakistani statement signals to Tehran that Islamabad will not undermine a relationship or existing trade ties that have long faced pressure from U.S. sanctions.

Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and Iranian officials pose for a photograph after meetings at Zahedan on Sep. 1, 2026, aimed at strengthening Pakistan-Iran cooperation in the fields of education, trade, connectivity and border management.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced the launch of an extensive new sanctions campaign against Iran. The U.S. government has described “Operation Economic Outcast” as an “economic D-Day” against Iran.

On August 24, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the move an unprecedented effort to sever every remaining economic lifeline that is sustaining the Iranian government. The newly announced sanctions are set to target key sectors, including digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping. Another part of these sanctions is aimed at warning countries and companies that continue to deal with Iran that they risk exclusion from the U.S. financial system.

The announcement has drawn concern and criticism from several countries that maintain economic ties with Iran and stand to be directly affected by these sanctions threat.

Pakistan’s response to news of the U.S. sanctions against Iran has been measured, signaling that it has little intention of changing its current approach of working with Iran.

Islamabad appears unwilling to subordinate its bilateral economic relationships to Washington’s latest unilateral dictates. The Foreign Office issued a carefully worded statement that can be read less as concern over American pressure and more as a quiet assertion of its policy continuity.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made clear that Pakistan’s trade with Iran rests on international law and the two countries’ bilateral agreements. “About trade with Iran, Pakistan is following international law, and our bilateral trade agreements with Iran,” Andrabi said at the weekly media briefing. “As such, our trade remains in consonance with our obligations.”

The language appears to deliberately prioritize Pakistan’s commitments to Iran over any expectation of compliance with American secondary sanctions. Interestingly, there was no suggestion of a review or suspension of commercial ties between the two countries. At the same time, the foreign office’s emphasis remained on continuity of ties between Pakistan and Iran under existing legal frameworks.

Pakistan’s position reflects a careful balancing act.

On the one hand, it sends a clear signal to Tehran that Islamabad will not undermine a relationship or existing trade ties that have long faced pressure from U.S. sanctions. This stance underscores a commitment to preserving and potentially building new momentum in bilateral engagement with Iran.

On the other hand, Pakistan has avoided directly criticizing the American measures. Instead, it has placed the newly announced sanctions within the broader context of the Iran-U.S. confrontation, which Pakistan is trying to address through its mediatory efforts.

For instance, Andrabi stated that “Pakistan hopes that, as part of a wider settlement of the U.S.-Iran standoff, all economic........

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