A political statement issued by Mir Yar Baloch on 14 January 2026 has called for the international recognition of a sovereign Balochistan, presenting the territory as a potential force for enduring peace in the Middle East and a stabilising actor in regional security.
Endorsing remarks attributed to the Baloch nationalist leader Hyrbyar Marri, described as the leader of a “United Balochistan”, the statement urges Baloch communities on both sides of what it calls “artificial borders” to unite. It asserts that Balochistan constitutes a single country bound by a shared language, identity and history, and appeals to the United States, Israel and regional states to recognise it as an independent nation.
The statement aligns Baloch aspirations with those of other non-Persian groups in Iran, including Kurds, Arabs, Ahwazi, Azeris and Turkmen, and argues that regime change in Tehran would not, in itself, resolve what it describes as longstanding grievances of these communities. Instead, it calls for full authority and freedom for non-Persian nations on their historic lands.
Strong allegations are made against the Iranian authorities, including claims that thousands of protesters, among them women and children, have been killed. The statement further alleges that nearly 800 Baloch civilians were killed in recent unrest in Iranian-administered Balochistan and that Iranian intelligence agencies refused to return bodies to families. It claims that some of those killed were not involved in protests and accuses Pakistan’s intelligence services, with the consent of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, of participating in operations targeting civilians. These claims are presented without independent verification.
Mir Yar Baloch’s statement also contends that intelligence and logistical cooperation between Iran and Pakistan has intensified over the past year, and that Tehran enjoys Islamabad’s full support. It portrays Balochistan as a region rich in natural resources and strategically located, with a 2,000-kilometre coastline and the ports of Chabahar and Gwadar, yet allegedly under occupation by Iran and Pakistan for more than a century.
The statement criticises Britain’s historical role, citing the 1871 Goldsmith Boundary Agreement as having divided Balochistan without popular consent and placed areas, including Chabahar, under Iranian control. It alleges that Iran has occupied parts of Balochistan for 156 years and has used the region’s coastline and resources to pursue proxy conflicts and promote extremism.
Pakistan is similarly accused of occupying Balochistan following military action in March 1948, with the statement asserting that agreements signed by the then Khan of Kalat were obtained under coercion and therefore lack legal validity. It claims Pakistan has controlled Balochistan for 77 years without granting international recognition to what it describes as an existing Baloch assembly and state structure.
Concluding, the statement describes Balochistan as a region with a 10,000-year history, vast territory and major ports, arguing that it remains under the “illegal occupation” of Pakistan and Iran. The appeal has been circulated widely on social media and tagged to a range of international political figures and institutions, underscoring an effort to draw global attention to the Baloch nationalist cause.
