Iran Trade Minister Heads to Pakistan to Explore Port Routes Around US Blockade; Joint Trade Committee Meeting Scheduled in Islamabad

## What Happened Iran's Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak traveled to Pakistan on Monday, August 3, for an official two-day visit expected to focus on easing transit bottlenecks and moving more Iranian containers through Pakistani ports during the US naval blockade. Atabak is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Trade Committee in Islamabad and meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit comes as nine vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, most using an Iranian-controlled route, according to trade analytics platform Kpler—about 7% of normal flow. Pakistan's foreign minister also invited Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to visit Islamabad "at the earliest opportunity." ## Why It Matters With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and US forces redirecting 44 vessels as of August 3, Iran is seeking alternative export routes to sustain trade flows. Pakistan's ports at Gwadar and Karachi offer potential land-and-sea corridors to bypass the US blockade, though capacity and infrastructure constraints remain. The timing—amid Trump's claims of imminent Iran talks that Tehran denies—suggests Iran is hedging rather than capitulating. If diplomacy fails and the blockade tightens, the Iran-Pakistan route becomes more critical; if a Hormuz deal materializes, the urgency fades. For now Tehran is building optionality while publicly rejecting direct US negotiations.