Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani says his company has redirected its LPG exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan, from where the gas continues on to China. He says it will no longer sell cheap liquefied petroleum gas to Pakistan, even if the border reopens, and he warns that the price of a 12-kg cooking gas cylinder in Pakistan will rise to 10,000 rupees, about $36. The claims come from Zanjani himself, and I found no confirmation from Iranian authorities or independent reports of the rerouting. His warning lands at a tense moment, since Pakistan closed two key crossings with Iran and LPG imports have been halted, leaving hundreds of trucks, including LPG tankers, stranded on both sides of the border.

The impact is already being felt in Pakistani kitchens. Traders say the price of a 12-kg cylinder jumped from about 4,500 rupees to 7,000 within days, with reports of 7,500 in Lahore and 8,200 in Skardu, and consumers fear shortages could worsen as winter approaches. Pakistan's government has promised fresh imports, and a minister said LPG should cost around 400 to 425 rupees per kilogram, warning that sellers charging excessive prices will face action. Pakistan's army chief visited Tehran this week, and Iran's foreign ministry says consultations on resuming trade are under way. Zanjani is a controversial figure with a history of US sanctions and a corruption conviction in Iran, so the big questions are whether his company can really shut Pakistan out, whether the border reopens soon, and how high prices climb before then.