Pakistan Closes Borders with Iran Amid Escalating Tensions

CHAGHI, Pakistan — Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with Iran indefinitely due to rising tensions in the region. Travel remains heavily disrupted as airspace is also affected by ongoing missile activity.

Atta ul Munim, an official at one of the crossings in Chaghi district, confirmed on Monday that crossing into Iran “has been suspended until further notice.” Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, stated that border facilities along the nearly 900-kilometer border have been shut down.

The situation escalated after Iran closed its airspace to protect passenger safety amid ongoing conflict. The Civil Aviation Authority of Iran announced the airspace would remain closed “until further notice.” Simultaneously, Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport also ceased operations.

Israel’s flag carrier, El Al Airlines, suspended all flights until at least Thursday, extending cancellations to several European cities through June 23. However, three border crossings between Israel and Jordan—Jordan River, King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge, and Yitzhak Rabin—remain operational.

The Israeli National Security Council has advised citizens against traveling through Jordan and Egypt due to security concerns. Meanwhile, the Israel Airports Authority stated no travel to Greece or Cyprus is recommended as passengers could face extended wait times for return flights.

In anticipation of escalated conflict, Jordan announced the second closure of its airspace after military forces intercepted ballistic missiles entering Jordanian territory. Several countries are now preparing to evacuate their citizens from the conflict zone. Poland plans to route around 200 citizens through Jordan’s capital, while India is assisting its students in relocating from Iran.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran is actively monitoring the situation and facilitating the relocation of Indian students to safer areas within Iran. “The Indian Embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation,” a Ministry of External Affairs statement indicated.

Major airlines have reacted to the escalating violence. Russia’s Aeroflot canceled flights between Moscow and Tehran, while Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Aegean Airlines has also paused operations to and from various regional destinations, with cancellations extending to July 12.

No clear timeline is available for when the border crossings will reopen or when airspace will be deemed safe for travel in the region.