Iran’s Changed Perception Concerning its Role in Afghanistan Following Soviet Disintegration

Abstract

Afghanistan is situated in a geopolitically sensitive region. Following Soviet disintegration, Afghanistan became a gateway to the resource-rich independent states of Central Asia. The Taliban was propped up in Afghanistan by Pakistan to allow it to gain access to the natural resources of Central Asia. Iran’s concerns in Afghanistan also witnessed changes. During the Taliban’s rise to power, there was more to the strategic thinking in Iran’s foreign policy making than merely the immediate concerns regarding the issues of the spread of drugs and the need to deter ethnic cleansing by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Iran’s opposition to the Taliban and Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan also constituted an indirect opposition to the greater American role in the region. While up to the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Iran’s interest was confined to the Gulf and was restricted to enhancing its influence in Afghanistan where large number of Shia Muslims lived, Iran took advantage of the disintegration of the Soviet Union to expand its interests and widened its role considerably to incorporate a growing interest in Central Asia and expressed its intention of using Afghanistan as a corridor to Central Asia. Iran also demonstrated a growing interest in South Asia as it emerged as a new market for Central Asian resources. Iran’s changed perception about its interests and role shaped its foreign policy after 9/11

Keywords

• Geopolitics, Containment, Hegemony, Regional power, Strategy, Natural resources

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