چالش‌های هند در تعامل با طالبان برای دسترسی به آسیای مرکزی

Introduction and Aims: India's vast economic interests and desire to play a greater regional role have forced India to pay special attention to the Central Asian region in competition with countries such as China and Pakistan. Due to lack of geographical proximity, if India can establish its position in Afghanistan, it can gain stable access to Central Asia through the country's territory. For this reason, during the twenty-year occupation, India has tried to establish stability and security in Afghanistan and has been in conflict with the Taliban group. Now, With the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, India's challenges have doubled, because Pakistan, which is located to the west of India, is an ally of the Taliban and is blocking India's land connection with Afghanistan. Thus, India must first establish friendly relations with the Taliban, and secondly, to reach Afghan territory, it must bypass Pakistan, which is the most important alternative route to Iran's Chabahar port. The purpose of this study is to examine India's challenges and the role of Afghanistan and Iran in India's strategy to reach Central Asia. The question is, what challenges does India have to overcome to reach the Central Asian region?

Methods: The present study used a descriptive-analytical method to test the hypothesis. In this regard, first of all, the geopolitics of the region, its geographical location and obstacles are described as they are, and the events and developments in the region are described as they occurred. Next, using data obtained from various sources, we analyze India's goals, motivations, and efforts to overcome the challenges of reaching Central Asia, as well as the role of Afghanistan and Iran in this regard. At this stage, the relationship between the independent variables (the role of Afghanistan and Iran) and the dependent variables (India's access to Central Asia) is analyzed. The data was also collected in a library manner.

Findings: India’s closest path to influencing Central Asia is through Afghanistan, which must be stable, secure, and aligned with India’s interests to serve as a viable transit corridor. But India lacks direct access and must rely on Iran or Pakistan. Pakistan, fearing India’s rise in Afghanistan and Central Asia, blocks Indian transit, forcing India to seek alternative routes—foremost Iran’s Chabahar port. After the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, Pakistan’s influence in Kabul grew, compelling India to gradually rebuild ties with the Taliban to protect its interests, counter Pakistan, and maintain access toward Central Asia. Yet China–Pakistan influence in Afghanistan and the wider region continues to challenge India. Thus, New Delhi has pursued friendly relations with Iran and lobbied for U.S. sanctions waivers, recognizing Iran’s critical role—through Chabahar and broader regional connectivity—in India’s strategy to reach Central Asia.

Conclusions: India must overcome significant challenges to advance its strategic goals in the third circle of its foreign policy and to secure influence in Central Asia. Success in this region requires strong relations with both Afghanistan and Iran, as well as contributing to regional peace and stability. Given Pakistan’s obstruction and China’s growing presence, cooperation among India, Afghanistan, and Iran becomes essential, especially through the development of Chabahar Port, which benefits all three: the Taliban can attract investment and rebuild infrastructure; Iran gains economic advantages and balances China and India; and India gains reliable access to Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia. Through this trilateral cooperation, India can effectively pursue its regional ambitions.