Pakistan, April 25 -- There's a lot to consider as President Ebrahim Raisi wraps up a much-talked-about trip to Pakistan as the first Iranian head of state in the last eight years. While pledges of a must-have increase in bilateral trade (to an overwhelming $10 billion a year) and a visible attempt to repair the frayed bilateral relationship in the wake of tit-for-tat strikes managed to remain in the limelight - prompting in-depth attention from both national and international media - all this is easier said than done.

US State Department did not even wait for Mr Raisi to take off before issuing a sternly-worded caution: think about rebuilding ties at your own risk. In a manner strictly befitting its past efforts to contain Iran, sanctio...