Wahab Azizi, Christopher P. Costa
At a time when Washington is deemphasizing the Middle East—while remaining committed to Israel’s security—it is crucial to pay closer attention to Iran’s evolving relationship with the Taliban. Iranian leadership remains committed to the destruction of Israel, and the Taliban are hostile toward Israel as well. Beyond ideology however, the deeper concern for U.S. policymakers is how Tehran and Kabul are aligning pragmatically to undermine American influence in South and Central Asia.
For nearly a quarter-century after the September 11 attacks, U.S. policy rested on a useful assumption: that Iran and the Taliban were irreconcilable enemies whose ideological and sectarian differences would prevent meaningful cooperation. That assumption was convenient for a time—but it is no longer valid.
Despite persistent friction and mutual distrust, Tehran and the Taliban have demonstrated that shared interests—above all, opposition to U.S. presence and influence—can outweigh historical animosities. What has emerged is not an alliance of shared values, but an axis of convenience with tangible consequences for American security interests.
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