Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2006

Keywords

Military alliances, Spheres of influence, Civil wars, Government relations, Political extremism, Bilateralism, Iran hostage crisis

Abstract

Since 1979, Iran's objectives in Afghanistan have changed as Afghanistan's domestic landscape changed. 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 rich ethnic diversity of the country. Toward those and other goals, Iran has created "spheres of influence" inside Afghanistan. During the Soviet occupation (1979-88), Iran created an "ideological sphere of influence" by empowering the Shi'ites. Iran then created a "political sphere of influence" by unifying the Dari/Persian-speaking minorities, who ascended to power. Iranian policies added fuel to the ferocious civil war in the 1990s. Astonishingly slow to recognize the threat posed by the Taliban, Iran helped create a "sphere of resistance" to counter the "Kabul- Islamabad-Riyad" axis by supporting the Northern Alliance. Since the liberation of Afghanistan, Iran has also established an "economic sphere of influence" by engaging in the reconstruction of Afghanistan Today, Iran's goals are to pressure the Afghan government to distance itself from Washington, and for Iran to become the hub for the transit of goods and services between the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, Central Asia, India, and China. While Iran has been guilty of extremism and adventurism in some critical aspects of foreign policy, its overall Afghan policy has more to moderation and stability than to extremism and instability.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Middle East Journal, v. 60, issue 2, p. 235-256

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