Balochistan’s dangerous fuel trade is a lifeline. The Iran war is choking it

Balochistan’s dangerous fuel trade is a lifeline. The Iran war is choking it Submitted by Hazaran on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 18:13 The war is wreaking havoc on the illicit, yet vital, trade of importing fuel from Iran into Pakistan's Balochistan province A fuel fire engulfs boats at Kuntani Hor in Balochistan, Pakistan, sending thick black smoke into the sky as workers watch from nearby (Hazaran/Changeez Nazir/MEE) Off About 150 kilometres west of Gwadar, the port city often described as the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), lies Kuntani Hor, a small creek near the Iranian border on Balochistan’s remote and picturesque Makran coast. The creek is one of the spots along the border where "informal" trade between Iran and Pakistan takes place, with boats bringing Iranian petrol, diesel and other goods into Pakistan.