Image: Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, who is reportedly leveraging ties with Tehran and Washington to support mediation efforts amid the Iran war. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousufzai)

As Pakistan and Turkey Move to Stop the Iran War — They Are Defending 21st-Century Trade Routes.

When Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt step in to mediate an end to the fighting between Iran and the United States, their move is not driven by security considerations alone — but by deep geo-economic interests.

As I assessed on March 15, the war in Iran is creating significant uncertainty around the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — China’s central trade corridor, which passes, among other routes, through Iran. At the same time, India — Pakistan’s strategic rival, and a country with a long history of tensions with China, Pakistan’s key ally — is not only maintaining but strengthening its position in  IMEC- trade corridor.

India continues to import oil from Iran through the Strait of Hormuz, operates the Chabahar port, and at the same........

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