RAND: Iran's Balancing Act in Afghanistan
Alireza Nader
The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to provide measured support to Taliban insurgents battling U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. However, Iran also maintains close and constructive relations with the same Afghan central government that is battling Taliban forces. Iran’s complex and, at times, contradictory set of cultural, religious, political, and security interests shapes its behavior in Afghanistan, to the benefit and detriment of U.S. objectives. This paper examines Iran’s objectives and interests in Afghanistan and the consequent Iranian policies affecting U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
- Iran Appears to Be Pursuing Contradictory Objectives in Afghanistan
- The Baluchi Insurgency in Iran Is an Important Factor in Determining Iran’s Behavior in Afghanistan
- Increasing Tensions with the United States Could Lead to More-Significant Iranian Aid to the Taliban
Joya Laha co-authored this report
The Islamists Are Coming
The Islamists Are Coming, edited by Robin Wright, surveys the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. Often lumped together, the more than 50 Islamist parties with millions of followers now constitute a whole new spectrum—separate from either militants or secular parties. They will shape the new order in the world’s most volatile region more than any other political bloc. Yet they have diverse goals and different constituencies. Sometimes they are even rivals.
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