Taliban turns to Iran and India after border clashes shut key routes

20251128 Pakistan Chaman border crossing

These trucks are loaded with the belongings of Afghans attempting to return to their country after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan. They were pictured at the border crossing in Chaman, Pakistan, on Oct. 16. © Reuters

ADNAN AAMIR

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is expected to lose a billion dollars annually now that it has closed its border with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which has responded by shifting trade toward Iran and India, a chain of events that picked up pace when Islamabad reacted to repeated insurgent attacks with airstrikes across the border.