![Iranian-backed Afghan Taliban receive training in Nimroz Province in July. [Courtesy of Izazullah]](/cnmi_am/images/2016/08/26/6082-taliban-700_496.webp)
Iran has been supporting Taliban militants in Afghanistan militarily and financially for at least the past 10 years, Afghan security officials and analysts have confirmed.
Over the past 10-15 years, the Afghan government and allied forces have on many occasions seized Iranian equipment from Taliban fighters, said Rahmatullah Saihoon, an Afghan security analyst and head of Zwan Khwazakht (Youth Movement).
"Elements within [Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC)] may have transferred long-range rockets to the Taliban and provided training for the Taliban," he told Salaam Times.
"In February 2011, British forces reportedly intercepted in Afghanistan a shipment of 48 122mm rockets that they claimed had originated from Iran,” he said.
Taliban leader spent time in Iran
Offering further evidence of Iran's involvement with the Taliban, former Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor was reportedly on his way from Iran to Pakistan when he was killed in May.
"The death of Mansoor itself proves the link between the Afghan Taliban and Iran," Saihoon told Salaam Times. According to some media reports, Mansoor was tracked in Iran, where he was visiting his family, and then his car was targeted as he crossed back over the border into Pakistan.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid conceded that Mansoor was indeed inside Iran and was killed on his way out, according to the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS).
A senior NDS official who spoke to Salaam Times on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue said Mansoor made multiple unofficial trips to Iran.
"We have some documents that prove Iran's relations with the Taliban," he said. "It is sending them money and equipment and protecting them in Iran."
The Iranian government views the Taliban as a useful enemy that is undermining the interests of its greater enemy, said Afghan political analyst Syed Jawad Farahi.
"Iran is working with the Taliban to use them against coalition troops in Afghanistan and that is why Mullah Mansoor went to Iran,” Farahi told Salaam Times. "There are dozens of Taliban getting training and shelter in Iran."
Gen. Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defence, also confirmed Iran's relationship with the Taliban.
"The Afghan government doesn't want to have bad relations with our neighbours, but as far as we have witnessed, Iran is influencing the war in Afghanistan and supporting the Taliban and insurgents," Waziri told Salaam Times.
"It should not be surprising that the Iranian government supports the Taliban," he added.
Seeking pretexts to undermine Kabul
Iran could be using the presence of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a pretext to support the Taliban, some analysts say.
Fazal Haq Murad, a Afghanistan-Iran security analyst based in Kabul, said Iran's influence on the Taliban is especially strong in Herat and Nimroz provinces, where Afghanistan borders Iran.
"Iran is working with the Taliban to set up a buffer zone along its border with Afghanistan to keep other enemies from entering Iran," he told Salaam Times.
"Everyone knows that the Taliban are fighting against Afghanistan and the Afghan National Army," he said. "If Iran is helping them, then it's clear that it is against the Afghan army."
"The Taliban and Iran are using this partnership as the main catalyst for undermining the international effort to stabilise Afghanistan," Murad said.
"It ultimate goal will be the removal of any government left once the coalition troops leave Kabul," he added.
Professor Mahboob Shah Mahboob of Kabul University expressed concern that Iran's help to the Taliban is increasing instability in Afghanistan.
"Iran is not only funding the Taliban but it also has had training camps on its soil since 2013," he told Salaam Times.
"Iran doesn't want peace in Afghanistan," member of parliament Farishta Anwari of Nimroz Province told Salaam Times. "Tehran is undermining peace efforts between the Afghan government and the Taliban."
Iran's support for the Taliban is decreasing public support for Iranian activities in Afghanistan, she said.
"We and our people want to have good neighbours, and if they are supporting our enemy, the public will not let them and will never support them," Anwari said.
We have long known that the Taliban are equipped and militarily trained by Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps. It would take a very strong military coalition to crush Iran Revolutionary Guard -- maybe even of the moderate Muslim countries themselves (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, China, Arabia). We must end religious fundamentalism.
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As an Iranian, I agree that our government is a criminal dictatorship and it doesn't care about us. Pardon my language, but [average] Iranian man has become so desperate that [is willing] to even sell his wife [i.e. pimp out his wife.] This all the doing of our [the Iranian] government.
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Iran has always been the enemy of Afghanistan and will always remain as such. Never again should we be deceived by Iran and the Iranian mullahs.
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Why is it that you have shut your eyes and blocked your ears? Why don't you think a little? Politics is beyond everything else. It is known to everyone that Iran provides the Taliban with weapons and financial support, in order to serve its own interests. Therefore, providing asylum to a bunch of immigrants is part of its political agenda. It [Iran] kills and/or helps whenever it sees fit. Aren't the people of Afghanistan - who are being killed by the ignorant Taliban because of such policies - Muslims and human beings??? Are the Syrian Muslims the only human beings??? They constantly claim and talk about being followers of Shi'a sect, God, and the Prophet. Well, where is it? Is God a good thing, only when it can be at my service??!!! Is that it?! What about humanity? Unfortunately, politics has always been dirty, and still is as such. Innocent and miserable people, however, are the only victims of he power-struggle. Instead of resorting to unfounded bigotry and blindly defending something, It would be better for us to return to our reasoning, to conduct some research, and to reflect a little. After all, the Islamic religion itself has reserved the highest place of value for cerebration and reflection. Therefore, it would be better if we could refrain from merely ranting about Islam, so that we can reach to its better characteristics...
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Why does Iran support the Afghan Taliban? The people of Iran are poor and in miserable situation. Who wants to support the hungry, poor Iranian people? Is there anyone who can tend to our problems?
ReplyNot a lie. IRAN is against peace in AFGHANISTAN and PAKISTAN. This is because of the NATO policy .... and the military coalition in these countries, as they are against
Replya HARSH ISLAMIC STATE pushing back on fundamental rights such as the freedom to live, to live a western lifestyle... to laugh, to learn, to take care of ourselves without veiling our wives. IRAN MUST BE DESTROYED as in 1944 NAZI GERMANY By a world military coalition as in Normandy on June 6, 44 in France.
Poor IRAN you laugh... millions of tons of oil... money used for the false propaganda of tough ISLAM the homeland of Shi'ite Muslims... demeaning women; forcing them to wear a full black veil, beating and whipping them for silly things. IRAN hates western culture. The AGHA KHAN, who is the spiritual leader of the 20,000,000 Ismaelis who are of a very moderate Shi'ite branch, should come to power in this country. He is respected like a popein China the country where there are the most Muslim moderate Shi'ites.
They are very moderate Shi'ite; only one prayer per day, do not drink wine in Ramadan, eat pork , dogs, cats, beef, goat, sheep. AGHA KHAN is from a direct branch of the great Mongolian chief the KHAN and he brought with him the ISMAELI religion, a very moderate Shi'ite branch, a widespread religion from China to INDIA, and FROM INDIA to AFRICA and EGYPT.
This is what a world MILITARY COALITION should do... eliminate Muslim fundamentalists from the face of the Earth.
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This is a mere lie! Fereidoun.
ReplyNo comrade, it's FREEDOM
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Even if there is a support, it is for the ISIS. It placed Taliban and the ISIS in front of each other, so that they killed one another.
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Why should Iran support the Taliban?
ReplyHey moron, they have been doing it for more than 15 years; special service against espionage; SAS.
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No! The fact that the Iranian government supports the Taliban in order to achieve its own interests, is not at all a lie! Iran will even act directly if deemed necessary. One should not be fooled by such childish policies of providing residential accommodation to the Afghan refugees by Iran.
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Currently, you are the dogs of Iran.
ReplyIt is better if you - whom no one known from which cave have you escaped - don't participate in these debates. You stupid racist! If Iran is not linked to the Taliban, why did the Taliban's political delegation had come to Iran? Or, why did Iran say, "we are contacting the Taliban to get information?" Hey, you, who don't know anything and who lives in a barn! It is better for you to shut your big mouth and keep grazing!
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Iran has always done and still does support the legitimate governments of the brotherly country of Afghanistan.
ReplyNO FELLOW. because this government has been set up by the UNITED STATES. and since IRAN doesn't want to make a war against the US, IRAN FIGHTS THEM THROUGH THE TALIBANS ....
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There is really no limit to stupidity!... The silliest joke in the world was that you said "Iran supported Taliban!" Quite the contrary, Iran supported the martyr Shah Massoud, giving him weapons to fight the Taliban. Nevertheless, ever since he is gone I have not seen a real man in Afghanistan who would dare to fight against both the United States and the Taliban. These are what Americans say. In fact, it is the U.S. who supports the Taliban, so that the U.S. can justify its presence in Afghanistan by saying that "we must stay in Afghanistan in order to fight the Taliban." Had the United States really wanted to, it could have destroyed the Taliban in the past 20 years. Isn't the United States the World's Super Power? Therefore, [the U.S] doesn't want to do so. Why would Iran even want to support the Taliban? So that they kill the Afghan Shi'as?! Did you even know that the Taliban murdered our diplomats??? Iran is the country that sent one of its Major Generals to the help of Kurdish Sunni Iraqis, in order to liberate their areas. Moreover, a very important reason: a secure Afghanistan would be a dream for Iran, since the Afghan government will become strong and will control its borders, as a result of which there won't be this many armed thugs and drug smugglers coming into Iran. Secondly, those Afghans who currently reside in Iran will return to their country, which will take off some of the burden which is on Iran's shoulders. Please think about what you hear before repeati
ReplyWhat does many years of Taliban leaders' presence in Iran represent? By Iran [we] don't mean the people of Iran, but [we] refer to the mysterious theoreticians who hide behind Sepah [IRGC.] It is unclear which super power country provides intelligence support [to IRGC.] The truth is that Iran knows it stands to lose the game, especially economically, should other countries in the region achieve peace and calmness, and hence it is afraid of regional countries' progress and development. Currently, [Iran] can use the excuse of "although Iran is dealing with problems and issues, the entire region is struggling with crisis." If Afghanistan and Iraq get ahead of us through peace and through attracting capital, knowledge, and technology, then the game will be over for us. As for the ISIS, it was only beneficial to Asad's interests. All we need to do is to see the areas under the control of the ISIS: the ISIS has control over all areas with Sunni population, as well as areas where the population are against Asad. What does this mean?
ReplyWhat kind of a mindset is this? Iran would not have helped Syria and Iraq if it was afraid of such things. Additionally, who in a right mind would ever accept such justification from a, for instance, student who says he did not study because "the one who sits next to me didn't study either!" Let me remind you that Iran is the same country that started from ground zero. The country that fought for eight years, and then got nuclear power after 38 more, though some idiots ruined it. Iran is the country with the fastest torpedoes in the world. Iran is one of the few countries that achieved nanotechnology. Iran is the same country of which such superpowers as the United States scared to death. Iran is the same country about which an American political analyst said that considering all these sanctions the people of Iran should have died of starvation by now. Iran is the same country that captured the U.S. espionage drone. My Iran is the same country that took the sleep away from the eyes of the United States and Israel, and ..... Just answer this one question: What benefit could Iran stand to gain if Afghanistan is weakened or destroyed?
ReplyLISTEN ALL, I belonged to 8 R P I M A Y and left 10 FRIENDS IN AN AMBUSH in AFGHANISTAN. THEY WERE 20 YEARS OLD.
ReplyI KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING IRAN TALIBAN = RELIGIOUS MURDERERS.
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This is false news, o, dogs of Al Saud, the grandchildren of apes and pigs!
ReplyYou are referring to yourself, right?
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