Alwaght- Having faced international isolation, sanctions, and economic restrictions after seizing the power in August 2021, the Taliban now more than any other time feel a need for transit routes to maintain their contacts with the foreign world and boost national economy. Meanwhile, Iranian transit corridors are one the finite feasible and reliable ones that have turned into the most important economic artery of Kabul.
Given this significance of Iran, in recent days a delegation from Afghanistan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation led by the head of the ministry's planning and research office visited Tehran to discuss way of expanding transit infrastructures. The delegation visited Iran to conduct field surveys and identify land for the development of transit vehicles and strengthening transportation cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement released by the ministry, the visit is part of efforts to improve transit capacities, facilitate the flow of freight vehicles, and promote regional cooperation in the transport sector. Ministry officials said the delegation is also expected to discuss with Iranian officials the development of joint transit infrastructure and enhancing the level of services at border crossings. The ministry expressed hope that the visit will pave the way for practical agreements and joint investments in the road transport sector between the two neighbors.
Earlier, an economic delegation including the governor of South Khorasan province of Iran and senior officials from Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, headed by the deputy economic diplomacy officer of the Iranian foreign ministry, visited western provinces of Afghanistan, including Herat and Farah, and met with local officials. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei stated that the purpose of the trip was to learn about the latest status of industrial and commercial capacities in the region and to explore ways to expand relations between the two countries.
Also, on Monday April 21, Mawlawi Sadr Azam Osmani, the deputy minister of agriculture of the Taliban government, and Alireza Bekdali, the Iranian ambassador to Kabul, emphasized the expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, technology exchange, exports, and investment, and evaluated ways to enhance mutual economic and commercial relations between.
Significance of Iran transit routes to Afghanistan
As a landlocked country and hit by international sanctions, Afghanistan is grappling with serious challenges trying to export its minerals and products and has its eyes on the capacities of the neighbors to break this geographical restriction.
The Taliban government could use Iran’s rail routes to increase Afghanistan’s exports of iron ore, copper, lithium, and other rich resources, meeting some of its revenue needs without direct dependence on Western institutions. Due to sanctions, Afghanistan has struggled to attract foreign investment in its mining sector, making it essential to generate quick revenue through exports, but without direct access to high seas, it cannot achieve its goals.
With its long border with Afghanistan and advanced rail, road, and port infrastructure, including Chabahar Port, Iran can provide a convenient route for Afghanistan to export its mineral resources, agricultural products, and other goods to global markets. The Khaf-Herat railway, as a strategic project, could provide Afghanistan with access to Iran’s international transportation networks and beyond, to Iran’s southern ports on the Persian Gulf. Iran’s rail routes provide a direct and cost-effective route to global markets, eliminating the need for Afghanistan to travel via the longer and more challenging routes through Pakistan.
For the Taliban government, these crossings are not just an option, but a vital necessity. Iran’s rail infrastructure at border points already facilitates the movement of goods, and expanding rail networks will make it cheaper to move goods between Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran.
Afghanistan’s growing dependence on Iranian routes also has important strategic implications. By tying its economy to Iran’s transit network, Afghanistan is inadvertently deepening its economic and political ties with Tehran. This could alter the regional balance, especially as Western powers seek to diplomatically isolate the Taliban. Since any disruption to these routes could further destabilize Afghanistan’s fragile economy, the Taliban have become increasingly dependent on developing and strengthening economic and transit ties with Tehran.
Despite the pressure of US sanctions, Iran still has a vast network of active trade routes that could serve as an opportunity for Kabul. Iran’s flexibility in the face of sanctions has been able to provide a relatively stable platform for the passage of goods, an issue that is doubly important for a government like the Taliban, which is in a state of global isolation. These advantages have led the Taliban government to increasingly view Iran as an economic lifeline and to place a special focus on developing these partnerships in its economic and trade plans.
Contributing to Taliban gaining legitimacy
In addition to the economic benefits, using Iran’s transit corridors could also help the Taliban politically to strengthen its position as a government capable of managing foreign trade and economic interaction. This could increase the Taliban’s domestic legitimacy among Afghanistan’s business and economic classes and lead to a relative consolidation of this government within the country. Therefore, transit cooperation with Iran is not simply an economic choice for the Taliban government, but rather a means to strengthen domestic legitimacy and increase its power of maneuvering in political negotiations with other countries.
Also, creating trade opportunities through these transit routes could lead to a relative improvement in Afghanistan’s economic conditions, job creation, and increased foreign trade revenues, all of which are vital to the survival of the Taliban rule.
Despite geopolitical obstacles, if managed effectively, Iran-Afghanistan transit cooperation helps develop eastern Iran and western Afghanistan and could become a cornerstone of regional trade benefiting both countries.
Still, the Taliban need constant cooperation with Iran, securing transit routes, and launching customs and logistics mechanisms for effective advantage from this opportunity. Without these mechanisms, any use of Iranian routes can face security disruptions or structural failures that not only are not beneficial, but also bring forth political and economic costs.
In general, Iran's transit infrastructures are not just a trade need, but also a strategic means for economic future and political relations. Taliban's capability to export mineral resources and import goods everyday grows more dependent on sustainability and development of these routes— dependence that will undoubtedly affect the future economic and geopolitical equations in the region. Therefore, the Iranian border and rail routes not only create new economic opportunities to Afghanistan, but also influence the future of political stability and regional interactions of this country.
