From cooperation to competition: an analysis of Iran-Taliban relations

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Author

university of tehran

10.29252/piaj.2023.232091.1430

Abstract

Abstract
Iran-Taliban relations can be divided into three periods. The first period includes from the early 1370s to the end of this decade. Relations between Iran and the Taliban were competitive during this period. The second period includes the early 1380s to 1400s. In this period, despite the initial divergence, Iran and the Taliban moved towards cooperation. The third period includes from 1400 onwards. In this period, the cooperation between Iran and the Taliban in the previous period has given way to competition. The question of this article is, what are the reasons that made the relations between Iran and the Taliban more competitive in this period? The hypothesis of the article, which has been investigated in a descriptive-analytical way, is that the disappearance of the common threat and the formation of incompatible interests have made the relations between Iran and the Taliban more competitive. The findings of the article showed that the cooperation between Iran and the Taliban in the past period was due to the existence of a common enemy called America, as well as the compatibility preferences that were created in the decision-making apparatus of Iran and the Taliban. Now, with the disappearance of the common threat and the return of incompatible preferences that existed in the first period of Iran-Taliban relations, the relations between the two sides have become competitive.

Keywords

References

  • منابع

    • Belén Soage, Ana (2022), “Iran’s Shifting Policy Towards the Taliban,” Atalayar, http://bitly.ws/CueF.
    • Bokhari, Kamran (2022), The Search for Stability in Afghanistan, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/afghanistan/search-stability-afghanistan.
    • Cafiero, Giorgio (2022), What to expect for Taliban-Iran relations, https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/what-to-expect-for-taliban-iran-relations-53928
    • Carr, Edward H (1946), The Twenty Years' Crisis 1919-1939. An Introduction to the Study of International Relations, 2 nd edition (London: Macmillan).
    • Chandrashekhar Oak,Niranjan (2016), “What’s Between the Taliban and Iran?” The Diplomat, http://bitly.ws/Cudm.
    • Clark, Kate (2008), “Taliban Claim Weapons Supplied by Iran,” Daily Telegraph, September 14, 2008; Kate Clark, “Assignment,” BBC, September 18, 2008.
    • Dreazen, Yochi (2016), Exclusive: Iran Teams With Taliban to Fight Islamic State in Afghanistan, https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/26/exclusive-iran-teams-with-taliban-to-fight-islamic-state-in-afghanistan/
    • Dobbins, James (2008), After The Taliban: Nation Building in Afghanistan (Potomac Books)
    • Emadi, Hafizullah (1997), “The Hazaras and Their Role in The Process of Political Transformation in Afghanistan,” Central Asian Survey 16:3 (1997): p. 381.
    • Farmer, Ben (2009), “Iranian Weapons Getting Through to Taliban,” Daily Telegraph, June 8, 2009.
    • Farr, Grant (2022), ”Iran and Afghanistan: Growing Tensions after the Return of the Taliban”, https://www.e-ir.info/2022/08/23/iran-and-afghanistan-growing-tensions-after-the-return-of-the-taliban/
    • Fathollah-Nejad, Ali&Azizi, Hamidreza (2021), Iran and Taliban after the US fiasco in Afghanistan, The Middle East Institute (MEI), https://www.mei.edu/publications/iran-and-taliban-after-us-fiasco-afghanistan
    • Gilpin, Robert G (1981), War and Change in World Politics, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
    • Gohel, Sajjan M (2010), ”Iran’s Ambiguous Role in Afghanistan”MARCH 2010, VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3, https://ctc.westpoint.edu/irans-ambiguous-role-in-afghanistan/
    • Grrieco, Joseph M (1990), Cooperation among Nations. Europe, America, and Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade, (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press)
    • Hamid, Mustafa (29 May 2023). "میاه للحرب (2)" [Water for War (2)]. Māfā as-Sīyāsī (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 May 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Afghanistan%E2%80%93Iran_clash
    • Hansen, Christian & Kousary, Halimullah (2022), “Can Iran get along with the Taliban?” http://warontherocks.com/06/2022/can/iran/get/with/the/Taliban.
    • Jazeera, A (2021, November 11), Iran Deporting Thousand of Afghan Refugees. Retrieved from Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/11/afghan-refugees-deported-from-iran-as-humanitarian-crisis-deepens
    • Khan, A (2022, May 17), For Desperate Afghans, Risky Crossings Into Iran are worth chancing. Retrieved from The New Humanitarian: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/News-feature/2022/05/17/Afghans-risky-crossings-Iran
    • Krasner, Stephen D (1983), "Structural causes and regime consequences: regimes as intervening variables," in: Krasner (ed.), International Regimes, (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press),pp.1-21
    • Mearsheimer, John J (1994), "The False Promise of International Institutions," International Security, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Winter 1994/95), pp. 5-49.
    • Milani, Mohsen (2006), “Iran’s Policy Towards Afghanistan,” Middle East Journal 60:2 (2006): pp. 242-243.
    • Milner, Helen V (1997), Interests, Institutions, and Information: Domestic Politics and International Relations, (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
    • Moravcsik, Andrew (1992), "Liberalism and International Relations Theory," Harvard University, Center for International Affairs, Working Paper No. 92-6, Cambridge.
    • Moravcsik, Andrew (1997), "Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics," International Organization, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Autumn 1997), pp. 513-53.
    • Nabil, Rahmatullah (2016), Iran,AL-Qaeda and the Taliban: Close Relations between Shiite and Sunni Fundamentalists: A Strategic Move or a Matter of Expediency?, https://aissonline.org/en/main-features/7
    • Nada, Garrett (2021), “Iran and the Taliban Takeover,” The Iran Primer, August 25, 2021, http://bitly.ws/Cudh.
    • Omid, K. a (2021), December 16). Amid a crackdown, Afghan Refugees in Iran fear the ‘unthinkable’: Being sent back. Retrieved from Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-12-16/afghan-refugees-iran-crackdown-deportation-taliban
    • Putnam, Robert D (1988), "Diplomacy and domestic politics: the logic of two-level games," International Organization, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Summer 1988), pp. 427-60.
    • Ramachandran, S. (2022, Feburary 15), Afghanistan-Iran Disquiet Over the Helmand River. Retrieved from The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/afghanistan-iran-disquiet-over-the-helmand-river/
    • Rich, S (2022), Refugees in Iran. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://www.unhcr.org/ir/refugees-in-iran/
    • Rubin, Barnett (2008), The US and Iran in Afghanistan:Policy Gone Awry, Massachusetts Istitute of Technology,Mit center for International Studies,
    • Rubin, Barnett (2020), ”A new look at Iran complicated relationship with the Taliban”, https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/a-new-look-at-irans-complicated-relationship-with-the-taliban/.
    • Sahoo, Pradeep (2022), ” Taliban Abolishes Persian Language From Supeme Court Bill” https://pragativadi.com/taliban-abolishes-persian-language-from-supeme-court-bill/.
    • Sawhney, A. a (2020), No Coungtry for Minorities: The Inequality of State Repression in Iran. Retrieved from Open Democracy: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/no-country-minorities-inequality-state-repression-iran/
    • sfandiary, Dina (2021), The Taliban’s Comeback Is a Conundrum for Iran, https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/talibans-comeback-conundrum-iran.
    • Shekhawat, Shivam (2023), Mapping Iran’s policy towards a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Observer Research Foundation, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/mapping-irans-policy-towards-a-taliban-ruled-afghanistan.
    • Smith, Michael (2007), “Missile Threat to British Troops,” Times, March 1, 2009; Alastair Leithead, “Iranian Influence in Afghanistan,” BBC, June 11, 2007.
    • Snyder, Jack (1991), Myths of Empire. Domestic Politics and International Ambition, (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press).
    • Stone, Rupert (2022), For Tehran, Afghanistan is a problem not an opportunity, https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/iran-afghanistan-taliban-problem-not-opportunity
    • Tabatabai, Ariane (2019), Iran's Cooperation with the Taliban Could Affect Talks on U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, https://www.rand.org/blog/2019/08/irans-cooperation-with-the-taliban-could-affect-talks.html
    • Takeyh,Ray (2021),Where Iran Stands on the Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan, https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/where-iran-stands-taliban-takeover-afghanistan
    • Tarock, Adam (1999), “The Politics of the Pipeline: The Iran and Afghanistan Conflict,” Third World Quarterly 20:4 (1999): p. 805.
    • (n.d.). Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved from UNHCR: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/islamic-republic-of-iran.html
    • (2021, November), Drug Sitiuation in Afghanistan 2021. Retrieved from UDODC: https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_brief_Nov_2021.pdf
    • Wolf, Reinhard (2000), How Partners Become Rivals: Testing Realist and Liberal Hypotheses, https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/isa/wor01/
    • Wohlforth, William C (1999), "The Stability of a Unipolar World," International Security, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Summer 1999), pp. 5-41. 
    • Walt, Stephen M.(1987) The Origins of Alliances (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press).
    • Waltz, Kenneth N (1959), Man, the State, and War. A Theoretical Analysis, (New York: Columbia University Press).
    • Waltz , Kenneth N (1979), Theory of International Politics, (New York: McGraw-Hill)

     

Political and International Approaches
Volume 16, Issue 2
September 2023
Pages 35-56

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics