Document Type : Research extracted From projects
Authors
1
Postdoctoral researcher, Political Science Department, ّFaculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
2
Professor of International Relations, Political Science Department, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
10.22034/jiga.2025.2059849.1399
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The current international system is in the era of trade wars and “access” to strategic “points” of value production and supply has become one of the main priorities of countries. Baluchistan is a geostrategic region along the coast of the Sea of Oman, which in territorial divisions constitutes one of the main provinces of Pakistan and part of the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran. This region is considered one of the main gateways for the East-West and North-South corridor routes. However, the movement of terrorist groups in recent years has led to geopolitical restrictions on corridor access and increased investment risk due to increasing insecurity in both parts of Baluchistan. Therefore, the main question of the research is: “What is the strategy of Iran and Pakistan for managing the geopolitical bottleneck of this region?” The article's hypothesis is based on the actions that Iran and Pakistan have taken so far bilaterally and in the form of joint cooperation, and states “The strategy of the two countries has been mainly focused on utilizing the capacities of cooperation in the economic, military and cultural fields in order to increase interactions, reduce access barriers, facilitate the transit of goods and combat terrorism.”
Methodology
The present study is considered basic research in terms of its purpose and attempts to ultimately help expand the frontiers of geopolitical knowledge by discovering the nature of geographical phenomena and examining their impact on the adoption of government strategies. In terms of data collection, the research was qualitative and conducted using library research.
Results and Discussion
"Spatial location", is considered the main and basic element in the study, measurement and evaluation of geopolitical situations. The evaluation of geographical locations determines the level of capability of different countries in terms of “access” to raw materials and energy, the distribution route of produced goods and consumption markets. In this regard, when a political unit is limited in its access to its defined values and goals by geographical factors, that unit is in a geopolitical bottleneck.
Since geopolitical bottlenecks have caused restrictions on the actions of governments and sometimes even threatened their security, the role of managing this environment is very decisive in preventing, reducing, or controlling threats and maximizing benefits. To this end, countries are attempting to manage the effects of geopolitical constraints through a diverse range of measures, including technical, economic, military, political, and cultural measures. Regarding Pakistan-Iran relations, Regarding Pakistan-Iran relations, the issue of "ethnic divergence" against national sovereignty and the subsequent growth of armed terrorist groups in the Baluchistan region are obstacles to development plans on the Makran coast, which are currently among the most important common concerns of both sides, but at the same time, the potential of ethnic-linguistic commonalities on both sides of the border, if accompanied by adopting the appropriate welfare policies, fighting against all instances of deprivation and discrimination that the people of this region are facing, and increasing participation at various levels of decision-making, can become the most important factor in the long term bond between Iran and Pakistan. In this regard, the results of the analysis of documents and reports related to the interactions between Iran and Pakistan in order to manage the effects of the "Terrorism and Separatism" in Baluchistan region show that the joint cooperation between the two countries has been mainly focused on the economic, military, and cultural fields.
Conclusion
A look at the prospects of Iran-Pakistan relations shows that among the three options of “cooperation”, “competition” and “tension”, “cooperation” is not only the best and most efficient option but also a necessity, to the extent that even when choosing the option of “competition” in order to maximize profits, the two countries have no choice but to “cooperate” with each other! In fact, countries that are located in the middle of corridor routes and in close proximity to each other need to establish close relations to facilitate the passage of goods in the shortest possible time and at the lowest cost. Pakistan and Iran are located in the middle of some imaginable east-west routes and therefore need to work closely together to connect their transport infrastructure. Even as the two countries compete over parallel north-south corridors, there is a compelling case for cooperation between the two countries, which is related to the issue of ensuring sustainable security in Baluchistan. Therefore, removing obstacles that increase the risk of foreign investment and damage to its competitive advantage in the transit of goods should be on the agenda of the governments of Iran and Pakistan, ultimately leading to the promotion of this region's status as a geopolitical connector with the aim of facilitating access.
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