Iran’s relationship with the Taliban has rapidly soured in the past two years.
Border skirmishes and diplomatic rows over water and other issues have become common features of the bilateral relationship which, not long ago, was friendly and cooperative.
For over two decades, Iran has been supplying arms and ammunition and providing military training to the Taliban in the war against the US-led forces in Afghanistan. Iran’s assistance helped the Taliban to win Kabul in August 2021.
Soon after the Taliban established its regime in Afghanistan, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards extended its financial and military support to the Taliban Helmand Council, consisting of Ibrahim Sadr, the former Taliban shadow Defence Minister (at present he is serving as the Taliban deputy Interior Minister) and Mula Qayuom Zakir who is the Taliban deputy Defence Minister.
Iran was among the few countries that kept its embassy open in Kabul when the Taliban came to power. On February 2023, Iran handed over the control of the Afghanistan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban and accepted the Taliban Charge de Affairs. Iran was keen on keeping the Taliban happy to ensure security on its border, fight ISIS, get the flow of water from Helmand River, and above all, keep the Taliban away from the United States.
But the Taliban soon turned against the Shia nation resulting in sries of armed clashes along the border. The diplomatic relations also soured over the the controversial water treaty from Helmand River. On May 08, 2023, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on his visit to Sistan Baluchistan warned the Taliban that actions would be taken against them if they refused to abide by the terms and conditions of the water treaty. But three months since that warning, the Taliban have not given any positive response to Iran’s demand.
What is even more riling to the Iranian authorities is the growing warmth between the Taliban and the US. The Taliban Foreign Minister met with the US Special Envoy in Doha on July 30-31, 2023, where, according to media reports, both the groups signed 27 agreements on different issues.
After the meeting, the Taliban stopped the activities of Iran’s Imam Khomeini Committees in Kabul, Herat, and Balkh provinces. The Khomeini Committee in Afghanistan was the backbone of Iran’s soft power, but now it has been banned by the Taliban in three major cities of Afghanistan.
On August 07, Iran commemorated the assassination day of its eight diplomats that were killed by the Taliban in Mazar-e-Sharif in 1998. Iran Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Abdullahian in his tweet called the Taliban criminals. Moreover, for the first time, an Iran cleric called the Taliban a terroristic group.
In the meantime, the Iran government has decided to begin the recruitment of anti-Taliban fighters living in Iran to secure its border or use them when it is required.
These changing attitudes on the part of both the countries show clearly that the honeymoon period was long over and the region was likely to witness more violence and acrimony.