Border Closure After Iran-Israel War Triggers New Livelihood Crisis in Balochistan

According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group,
following the twelve-day war between Iran and Israel, the political and security situation in Balochistan has given the government a new pretext to intensify border closures. This move, accompanied by targeted policies and increased pressure on the Baloch people, has effectively destroyed the only source of income for thousands of citizens—especially fuel carriers—creating a wave of unemployment and economic hardship in the region. While the people of Balochistan have long depended on border trade for survival, these strict measures clearly reflect the authorities’ disregard for their economic and social conditions.

As a result of this situation, the economic pressure has directly affected the prices of essential goods. For instance, the price of a ten-kilogram bag of rice, which before the war was around 800,000 tomans, has now reached 1,100,000 tomans. Such a sharp increase in such a short time clearly demonstrates the direct impact of border closures on the market and people’s livelihoods. Meanwhile, the costs of other necessities such as bread and oil have also risen, further shrinking the dining tables of Baloch families and making daily life increasingly difficult.

The rise in prices, combined with limited income sources, has plunged Baloch society into a deeper crisis. Unemployment caused by border closures has not only trapped thousands of fuel carriers and their families in hardship but is also likely to fuel further social instability. In such a climate, the lack of planning and indifference from authorities have placed severe psychological and economic pressure on the population; if this situation continues, it could deepen the divide between the government and the Baloch people and have long-term consequences for the region’s social and economic stability.