Washington Recruits Riyadh to Squeeze Iran's Land Borders

The United States has asked Saudi Arabia to pressure Pakistan and Turkey into restricting trade routes with Iran, extending a sanctions campaign that has already shut down much of Tehran's maritime and air commerce. A source familiar with the discussions told Business Insider Africa that US officials sought Riyadh's help precisely because of its military ties with both countries.

The request follows weeks of American pressure on Iran's neighbours to choke cross-border trade, layered on top of a naval blockade and sanctions aimed at the country's shipping and aviation sectors. Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan have each stopped short of full compliance. Their governments cite economic losses, trade disruption and the risk of unrest in communities that live off border commerce.

Why did Washington turn to Riyadh?

Saudi Arabia occupies a unique position in this negotiation. The kingdom has military relationships with both Pakistan and Turkey, giving it leverage that Washington lacks directly.

Riyadh has pushed in the same direction before. According to Reuters, Saudi officials urged the United States in July to intensify economic pressure on Iran. In September, President Donald Trump rejected a separate Saudi request for military strikes against the Houthis, offering intelligence and targeting support instead.

The backdrop is tension over Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities, which Washington attributes to Tehran's support for armed groups. The US views that support as a principal threat to regional stability.

How have Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan responded?

Resistance varies by country, but none has fully closed its borders with Iran.

• Iraq has refused wider closures after the US Treasury called for shutting all but two crossings with Iran, including one in Kurdistan. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said: "There are many official and unofficial border crossings with Iran, and closing all of them would be difficult and would affect our economy." Iraq did temporarily shut the Sheeb crossing to combat smuggling.
• Turkey has largely maintained its existing border policies despite American pressure, according to Iran Times.
• Pakistan has temporarily closed and reopened some crossings, citing security. Shahid Rind, an adviser to the Balochistan chief minister, said: "The purpose of the temporary closure of the Pak-Iran border is to address security concerns, prevent smuggling, and make the border system more effective."

Iraq carries particular risk. Its border with Iran runs 1,600 kilometres, and Baghdad fears that harsher restrictions could trigger unrest involving armed groups along the frontier.

What is Task Force Iron Gate?

The border campaign forms part of a broader American effort to cut off weapons, sanctioned goods and illicit funds reaching Iran-backed groups, including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.

On November 7, US Central Command announced Task Force Iron Gate, an operation designed to disrupt the movement of military technology, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said: "The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the economic strategy after a G7 meeting in Paris, arguing that Washington can achieve its goals without further military action. "The economic pain that is being inflicted on Iran right now is extraordinary," Rubio said. "We don't need to conduct military strikes if we're achieving the same objective through economic means and economic pressure."

Can diplomacy still shape the outcome?

Egypt is working the other side of the ledger. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has urged Washington and Tehran to pursue a political agreement, while Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, calling for restraint and continued negotiation. Cairo's aim is to prevent another regional confrontation.

Trump has ruled out any new arrangement with Tehran. "We don't need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We've got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we've got their Strait!" he wrote in a recent social media post.

For shippers and forwarders moving goods through the region, the trajectory is clear: with Riyadh now enlisted and Task Force Iron Gate active since November 7, land-border enforcement across Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan is set to tighten further even as those governments resist full closure.