Afghan-Iranian relations under the Taliban rule
https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-6-84-104
Abstract
This article examines the contemporary Afghan-Iranian relations in the context of the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan. It analyzes the evolution of Tehran’s position, which, throughout the twenty-year American presence, consistently condemned the US actions as the primary cause of regional destabilization. The current relations are characterized as strictly pragmatic, focusing on the security issues, economic cooperation, and the settlement of the trans-boundary water disputes. Economic cooperation with Iran holds a significant value for the current Afghan authorities in the context of the diversification of external economic ties and the reduction of the dependence on other regional actors. Faced with a deficit of domestic legitimacy, the Taliban are interested in obtaining an official diplomatic recognition from Tehran. The formation of Iran’s position towards the new Afghan authorities is driven by a complex set of factors, including the perception of the Taliban as an antiWestern force, the need to counter the cross-border security threats, as well as reckoning Iran’s internal political and socio-economic dynamics. Those relations are complex and multifaceted, combining the elements of forced partnership and latent confrontation, particularly on the issues concerning the rights of the Shia minority in Afghanistan and the use of the trans-boundary water resources. The article explores the dynamics of those relations and analyzes the key factors driving their development. The author concludes that, despite the available evidence of the close ties between Tehran and the Taliban leadership, the interaction between the two sides remains limited.
About the Author
Omar M. Nessar
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Omar M. Nessar, Cand. of Sci. (History),
12, Rojdestvenka St., Moscow, 107031.
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Review
For citations:
Nessar O.M. Afghan-Iranian relations under the Taliban rule. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin Series "Political Science. History. International Relations". 2025;(6):84-104. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-6-84-104
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