Afghanistan after the usiran nuclear deal the diplomat. How iran won the afghanistan deal with the us in 2001. Jan 04, 2012 iran has sought to keep a low profile in its efforts to influence policy in afghanistan, though not always successfully. They are trying to create a balance in afghanistans foreign policy.
Iran is watching closely as the united states and the taliban negotiate an end to americas operations in afghanistan. Since 1979, irans objectives in afghanistan have changed as afghanistans domestic landscape changed. Afghan refugees in pakistan and iran, cautions against a hasty repatriation of afghan refugees while conditions in afghanistan remain unstable. Iran participated in the formation of the posttaliban government in the bonn conference in december 2001 and contributed to reconstruction efforts, with the aim of establishing friendly ties with kabul. The politics of social transformation in afghanistan, iran, and. The authors conclude that iraq is widely recognized as the leading threat to irans islamic regime and afghanistan is seen as an emerging threat. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Jul 10, 2014 iran watchers tell me that tehran could increase its economic assistance in an effort to promote stability in post2014 afghanistan. Milani, irans policy towards afghanistan, middle east. Afghan refugees in pakistan and iran human rights watch organization.
The essence of irans policy toward afghanistan was to create an ideological sphere of influence by mobilizing and energizing the afghan shiites, which comprised about 20% of the population, while barely dealing with the communist government of afghanistan. He also talked about irans successful missile launch and disclosure during the g20 meeting. Iran participated in the formation of the posttaliban government in the bonn conference in december 2001 and contributed to reconstruction efforts. But while the united states was spending hundreds of billions of dollars in afghanistan, and cycling nearly a million american troops through in the 18 years of war, iran changed its policy. Soviet policy from afghanistan and iran to the horn of africa by halliday, fred. Its a very big but useful leap to move from a thorough and scholarly study of the ins and outs of the rules of war or the legality of border crossings to afghanistan. Second, the united states must compartmentalize regional and foreign policy as it relates to iran. In 1933 amanullahs nephew mohammad zahir shah, the last king of afghanistan, began a. Still, iran has consistently sought to see a stable and independent afghanistan, with herat as a buffer zone and with a tehran.
Pakistan found a natural partner in iran after the indian government chose to support egyptian president gamal abdel nasser, who was seeking to export a panarab ideology that threatened many of the more traditional arab monarchies, a number of which were allied with the shah of iran. Karzai acknowledged in 2010 that presidential aides regularly received bags. Tehran with a substantial amount of political leverage. Nov 16, 2015 afghanistan after the usiran nuclear deal. How iran found its feet in afghanistan foreign affairs. Afghanistan relations afghanistan remains an important partner of the united states in the fight against terrorism, working with us to eliminate alqaeda, isiskhorasan isisk and their affiliates in afghanistan. It was part of the northern alliance along with india and russia. Jun 24, 2014 the text of this article has been selected from. Walking away from the iran nuclear deal would only buy us trouble. Still, iran has consistently sought to see a stable and independent afghanistan,with herat as a buffer zone and with a tehran friendly government in kabul,a government that reflects the. Greater iranian influence in afghanistan could help iran alleviate economic and political pressures resulting from its nuclear dispute. Oct 05, 2010 woodward book has echoes for iran policy. This study explores iranian influence in afghanistan and the implications for the united states after most u.
National archives and records administration and its associated presidential library system. Given the power differential between kabul and islamabad, this means that india wants to ensure that pakistan does not manipulate the terms of peace talks and undermine indian interests in afghanistan. This book focuses on iran, afghanistan, and pakistan. Milani since 1979, irans objectives in afghanistan have changed as afghanistans domestic landscape changed. But afghanistan remains an important and often difficult arena of iranian foreign policy, a country where tehrans decisionmakers are slowly righting the course after decades of falling short. During the taliban regime in afghanistan from 19962001, iran was known for its strong antitaliban stance. Iran has worked to increase its soft power resonance in afghanistan, through foreign direct investment and the development of infrastructure linked to communications and transportation. Second, the united states must compartmentalize regional and foreign policy as it. The 201920 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to afghanistan when its index case, in herat, was confirmed on 24 february 2020 as of 26 april 2020, there have been 1,499 positive cases, with 206 recoveries and 47 deaths across 32 provinces in the country. In particular, over the past two decades iran s strategic approach, embedded in early postrevolutionary ideals, has begun. Recognition of the iranian strategy in afghan istan as as defensive primarily influenced by mitigatingthe adverse spillover effects from the conflict in afghanistan. Tudeh party as khomeinists consolidated power in iran.
What will iran do as the us negotiates a withdrawal from. Soviet policy from afghanistan and iran to the horn of africa. Milani since 1979, iran s objectives in afghanistan have changed as afghanistan s domestic landscape changed. Former defense secretary william cohen talked about u. If these illegal interventions are permitted to continue, the implication seems to be, pretty soon, horror of horrors, no murderously repressive regimes might remain. The west asian states of afghanistan, pakistan, iraq and iran have over the last few decades represented an arc of crisis. This report assesses irans security policy in light of these factors. Iran s activities in afghanistan have not drawn the outside attention that its operations in iraq, syria, yemen, and the persian gulf attract. Erlich casts a light onto a part of the world vital to peace and prosperity, not just for iran and the iranian people, but for the united states and the american people. Additional records come from british archives and other sources and include selected iranian materials. This beautiful coffee table book of photographs from the u. President barack obama in 2009, but the questions that u.
Iran watchers tell me that tehran could increase its economic assistance in an effort to promote stability in post2014 afghanistan. More information about afghanistan is available on the afghanistan page and from other department of state publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. Policy in brief afghanistan was elevated as a significant u. Afghanistan signed a treaty of friendship with iran in 1921, when the country was ruled by king amanullah khan and iran was still under the qajar dynasty. The book also features as many iranian voices as western authors to ensure the book is sensitive to both sides of the issues. The core driver of indias afghanistan policy is to ensure a continuing strategic balance between afghanistan and pakistan. He also talked about iran s successful missile launch and disclosure during the g20 meeting. Foreign policy officials talked about relations with the middle east and asia, combating global terrorism, and the influence of fundamentalist islam in various regions.
It is time for the united states to develop an intentional, coherent, and effective policy on iran. Steve nolan, author of go deep career military officer and former chief of combat stress for paktika province, afghanistan, 2007. Jan 08, 2020 but while the united states was spending hundreds of billions of dollars in afghanistan, and cycling nearly a million american troops through in the 18 years of war, iran changed its policy. The author outlines the purpose of the book as seeking to examine the ongoing rivalry between saudi arabia and iran, the leading nations in the gulf region, to trace its roots and analyse its. Policy is an unprecedented project by 50 of the worlds top scholars on iran representing some 20 foreign policy think tanks, eight universities, and senior foreign policy officials from six u. Library of congress federal research division country profile. Irans security policy in the postrevolutionary era rand. Characterised by fractured political elites and fraught economic policies, afghanistan, pakistan, iran and iraq embody a mosaic of ethnicities. The first step must be to accept that, while iran is a problematic actor, washington has only a limited capacity to control its behavior. Apr 06, 2020 iran has worked to increase its soft power resonance in afghanistan, through foreign direct investment and the development of infrastructure linked to communications and transportation. Iran and the united states worked closely together to secure the 2001 bonn agreement forming the hamid karzai government in afghanistan, so it came as a shock when george w. In september 1961 ties between two countries were broken off and resumed in may 1963. Iran and afghanistan institute for the study of war. Iran intensifies efforts to influence policy in afghanistan.
To this extent, many of irans foreign policy actions are similar to those undertaken by the shah of iran and prior iranian dynasties. But afghanistan remains an important and often difficult arena of iranian foreign policy, a country where tehrans decisionmakers are slowly. Iran has not backed islamist movements in the central asian countries because these states and their islamist movements are sunni muslim and threats to iran. Awhile back i blogged about the war in afghanistan and international law. Irans desired policy on afghanistans longterm security is an iraqi model. In fact, irans government fears the current freedoms in afghanistan may turn into a model for iranians, president ashraf ghanis deputy spokesman shah hussein mortazavi wrote on his facebook. Irans activities in afghanistan have not drawn the outside attention that its operations in iraq, syria, yemen, and the persian gulf attract.
Irans narrative of security in afghanistan and the. In the shadow of the united states, journal of asian security and international affairs, vol. The book is based on extensive archival research including us and british declassified files, personal memoirs of iranian and pakistani former officials, and valuable interviews with key actors such as former heads of the pakistani isi and the iranian supreme national security council. Jan 06, 2019 the author outlines the purpose of the book as seeking to examine the ongoing rivalry between saudi arabia and iran, the leading nations in the gulf region, to trace its roots and analyse its. Iran has sought to keep a low profile in its efforts to influence policy in afghanistan, though not always successfully. Iran wields considerable influence in afghanistan, particularly. Pant, a foreign policy writer, noted that iran was. At the same time, the election of hassan rouhani as irans president may provide a new opportunity for greater u. Irans foreign policy since its 1979 islamic revolution has been shaped by ayatollah ruhollah khomeinis ideology and islamic solidarity, and strongly in. However, resistance to his domestic reform program forced his abdication in 1929. Examining iranian foreign policy, with a focus on the years since 2001, this book analyses the defining feature of irans international and regional posture, its strategic loneliness, and the implications of this for the islamic republics foreign policy. Trumps iran policy is braindead lacking coherent objectives and a strategy for achieving them, moves like the assassination of qassem suleimani are foreign policy as theaterand could leave. Iran cooperation in afghanistan, as was the case after the talibans overthrow in 2001. Irans security policy in the postrevolutionary era on jstor.
Religion, nationalism, ethnicity, economics, and geopolitics all are important in explaining irans goals and tactics in its relationship with the outside world, as are the agendas of key security institutions and the ambitions of their leaders. However, the usas accusation that iran is helping the insurgency in afghanistan cannot be justified as far as there is no state of war between iran and the usa. Irans afghan proxies are critical to peace foreign policy. In 1933 amanullahs nephew mohammad zahir shah, the last king of afghanistan, began a 40year reign. From the revolution to the nuclear accord, 19782015, published on december 12, 2019, consists of 1,760 documents and almost 14,000 pages of materials mostly obtained via the freedom of information act foia or culled from years of research at the u. Woodward book has echoes for iran policy the new york times. And while iran has never concealed its willingness to challenge the united states, its recent assertiveness is undoubtedly tied to the disarray in american middle east policy, brought about by its.