U.S. attempts to pressure Iran's neighboring countries to close their borders have so far been unsuccessful, as Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan have rejected Washington's demands.
Turkey has largely refused to change its border policy, and Iraq has rejected U.S. requests to close all but two crossings, the New York Times reports, noting that the refusal has thwarted Washington's efforts to tighten its economic blockade on Iran, prompting the Trump administration to establish the Iron Gate Task Force to combat cross-border trafficking and smuggling.