"An evil story by western powers, led by the US" – this is how former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Iran and the Taliban are both hostile to the US. But it appears that this time, the immediate threat the US poses is not enough to bring them together.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The discourse coming from Tehran recently indicates that the Iranians are not completely satisfied with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban seizing power there.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned Taliban aggression in the Panjshir Valley, where Ahmad Massoud is directing the opposition to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The spokesman even hinted about "foreign intervention," which echoed the concerns being voiced now in the India media about Pakistani involvement in the valley.
Iran has opted to draw the red lines that it feels must not be crossed in Afghanistan. Tehran's concerns about foreign involvement in Afghanistan appear obvious to everyone, since Iran itself is accused of intervening in other countries' affairs. Whether it's Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Badr Organization in Iraq, or the Palestinian Sabireen movement, Tehran wants a hand in what is taking place it he region, and Afghanistan is no exception.
The fraught history, as well as religious questions, do not allow for a thaw in the frosty relations between Iran and Afghanistan. In 1998, Iran and the Taliban, which controlled Afghanistan at the time, were on the verge of war after 11 people – including Iranian diplomats and a journalists – were murdered in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Pundits are describing the current leadership in Afghanistan as "Taliban 2.0," but the Sunni tribespeople still haven't joined forces with Shiite Iran, with its conflicting cultural, ideological, and geopolitical views. This is why, historically, the Gulf states – including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – are closer to the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Qatar has become a key player in talks between the Taliban and the rest of the world. The tiny but wealthy nation has managed to secure a position of importance on everything having to do with Afghanistan. Taliban representatives in Doha comprise a stable bridge to the outside world.
Through its relations with the UAE and Qatar, Israel can leverage their presence in Afghanistan to torpedo Iranian interests. The growing tension between Iran and the Taliban could benefit Israel, which could use the new opportunities and create alliances that currently seem implausible. There are 1.45 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, more than in any other country. Pakistan and Afghanistan share not only a 2,670-km (1,660-mile) border, but also a cultural, tribal, and religious background. Pakistan is also home to 43 million Pashtuns, members of the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, which also controls the new regime in Kabul.
Surprisingly, some claim that the Pashtuns originated in the Land of Israel. Israeli anthropologist Professor Avigdor Shachan has suggested that the Lost Tribes of Israel reached Afghanistan between 723-856 BCE, after the Assyrian conquest.
While claims such as this one have not yet influence Israel's attitude toward the Taliban, other factors – such as Israeli-Sino relations – underscore that Israel has a few possibilities for maneuvers in Afghanistan. On the other hand, given Iran's growing intervention in Syria and Yemen while also grappling with the Saudi, Israeli, and American influence in the region, Tehran is playing a difficult game with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Given the unstable situation, can Iran afford another enemy? Only time will tell.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
