Pakistan has warned that a collapse of authority in Iran could unleash a wave of cross-border militancy, empowering jihadist and separatist groups operating along the restive Iran-Pakistan border.

Pakistani Leadership Alarms U.S. Over Border Threats

In a meeting at the White House, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir conveyed grave concerns to President Donald Trump, highlighting that anti-Iranian and anti-Pakistani groups could exploit ungoverned spaces along the 900-kilometer frontier. The Pakistani military confirmed that both leaders emphasized the urgent need to de-escalate the Iran-Israel conflict.

“They’re not happy about anything,” Trump remarked after the meeting, summarizing Pakistan’s disapproval of Israel’s ongoing strikes.

Islamabad Decries Israeli Airstrikes on Iran

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, calling it a “violation of international law” and a threat to regional security.

“This is for us a very serious issue... It imperils the entire regional security structures, it impacts us deeply,” Khan emphasized on Thursday.

Baluch Militants See Opportunity Amid Chaos

Militant groups such as Jaish al-Adl, an anti-Iran jihadist organization based in Pakistan and rooted in the Baluch ethnic minority, welcomed the escalation. In a June 13 statement, Jaish al-Adl called on Iran’s minorities and even the military to rise and join the “Resistance.”

Former ambassador Maleeha Lodhi warned of “ungoverned spaces” that could serve as safe havens for terrorist groups. Simbal Khan, an Islamabad-based analyst, suggested a potential “Greater Baluchistan” movement could emerge from both Iranian and Pakistani Baluch factions.

Fragile Alliances and Geopolitical Shifts

The situation complicates longstanding regional rivalries. Until the Israeli strikes, Tehran maintained closer ties with New Delhi, while Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes last year over cross-border Baluch militant activity.

China has also expressed concern over the conflict’s spillover into Balochistan, a critical area for its Belt and Road-linked investments, including the strategic Gwadar port. Baluch militants have previously targeted Chinese infrastructure and personnel.

With militant alliances forming and old enmities reshuffling, Pakistan faces the risk of another volatile front on its already unstable borders with Afghanistan and India.