Description: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi met with Taliban officials in Kabul to discuss tensions along the border, the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran and shared water rights. Aragchi met with Afghanistan’s acting Prime Minister Hassan Akhund, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. Even though Iran doesn’t recognize the Taliban as the ruling force in Afghanistan, they have established elementary levels of bilateral relations and Iran has allowed for the Taliban to manage Afghanistan’s embassy in Teheran.
Impact: With the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, a global geopolitical power vacuum was left in the war thorn country as the Taliban seized power. The establishment of relations with Iran could possibly be a dangerous prospect as no other regional geopolitical force has the means or the influence to tackle future Iranian infiltration into Afghanistan’s government. Iran suffered significant losses in Gaza and the West Bank, and their only regional geopolitical guarantor of influence are the Yemeni Houthis. Iran would look to enlarge their regional presence as they prioritize other geostrategic areas in the theater such as Afghanistan. The regional indirect power grab should be closely monitored by Western allies as it could potentially be the basis of another regional crisis as Iran expands their footprint.