TEHRAN– Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, has stressed that cross-border trade is an integral part of high-level bilateral agreements and serves the mutual interests of both neighboring countries, while attributing the failure to implement the Islamabad understanding to 'US breaches of commitments.'

In remarks on Sunday, the ambassador addressed reports in Pakistani media about the status of trade across the shared border, emphasizing that disruptions to commercial exchanges under the current circumstances would serve neither country’s interests.

“There are currently no restrictions imposed by Iran on the export of Iranian goods, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), to Pakistan,” Amiri-Moghaddam said, adding that Iran’s borders with all its neighboring countries remain open.

He explained that difficulties affecting traders transporting goods from Iran to Pakistan stem from the implementation of an “E-Form” procedure by the Pakistani side for imports from Iran. Consultations are underway between the two sides to resolve the issue and facilitate the movement of goods.

The ambassador also acknowledged reports that several hundred LPG tankers had crossed the Gabd-Rimdan border into Pakistan but had yet to be unloaded or cleared. The situation, he said, had complicated the movement of goods and disrupted the smooth flow of bilateral trade.

Amiri-Moghaddam emphasized that Iran had consistently worked to facilitate and strengthen cross-border commerce and remained committed to cooperating with Pakistani counterparts to overcome existing obstacles and expand economic ties.

Border trade, he noted, is a vital component of economic cooperation between the two neighboring countries and benefits both nations and their peoples.

Pakistani media have meanwhile reported that the Gabd-Rimdan crossing has resumed operations, with commercial transport moving again on both sides of the border.

US breaches are behind stalled Islamabad understanding

Separately, Amiri-Moghaddam addressed speculation in Pakistani media about Tehran’s position on the future of negotiations with Washington, stressing that decisions and official announcements concerning whether talks will take place fall within the remit of Iran’s senior political authorities and Foreign Ministry.

Speaking to IRNA in Islamabad on Sunday evening, the ambassador said Iran remained committed to the Islamabad understanding, arguing that its implementation had been obstructed by the US side’s failure to honor its commitments.

He said that, during a recent meeting with think-tank figures and media representatives in Islamabad, he had reiterated Iran’s continued commitment to the understanding.

“The person who declared the Islamabad understanding over and violated it was US President Donald Trump,” Amiri-Moghaddam said, according to IRNA.

He added that Washington’s actions had created conditions in which understanding could not be implemented in practice.

The ambassador said Iran’s repeated emphasis on honoring the understanding reflected its respect for commitments and agreements undertaken within the framework of international law. He drew a parallel with Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), arguing that Trump had similarly failed to implement the Islamabad understanding he had signed.

Amiri-Moghaddam stressed that any decision or announcement concerning the holding or cancellation of negotiations would be made by Iran’s senior political authorities and the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, with official information conveyed through the spokesperson for the Iranian negotiating team and official media outlets.

Tehran says diplomacy remains open as Iran stresses readiness to defend itself

The ambassador’s remarks come as Iranian officials have reiterated that diplomacy remains an option while emphasizing the country’s readiness to respond to any hostile action.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, speaking to German public broadcaster ARD, said the United States continued to insist on unilateral demands in negotiations. He stressed that Iran was keeping the door to diplomacy open while remaining prepared to defend the country against any aggression and deal with every possible scenario.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s Parliament and head of the Iranian negotiating team, also addressed the issue in remarks at the beginning of a parliamentary session held in person and online.

Qalibaf said Iran was prepared to deliver a response beyond its adversaries’ expectations to any act of aggression against the country’s territorial integrity. He added that threats of a wider war or assassination would not force the Iranian nation to abandon its rights and interests.

The statements underscore Tehran’s position that diplomatic engagement must be accompanied by respect for commitments and Iran’s national interests.

For Iran and Pakistan, maintaining the smooth operation of border crossings remains important to bilateral commerce and regional economic cooperation. Resolving the outstanding administrative obstacles would help restore the uninterrupted movement of goods and strengthen trade ties between the two neighboring countries.