Pentagon:

Iran Seeks A Stable Afghan Gov’t

TEHRAN (defapress) – The US Department of Defense, in a recent report sent to Congress, admitted Iran’s key role in ending the Afghan conflict, saying that Tehran “seeks a stable Afghan government”.

News ID: 74568

Date: 26 December 2018 - 11:55

“Iran seeks a stable Afghan government that is responsive to Iranian goals, the elimination of ISIS-K, the removal of the US/Nato presence, and the protection of Iranian concerns, such as water rights and border security,” says the report released last week on the official website of the US Department of Defense.

The Pentagon also admitted Iran’s influence in Afghanistan, saying that Tehran pursues “a multitrack strategy” of engaging and trying to grow ties with the Afghan government, expanding trade and economic investments.

It further claimed that Iran seeks “providing calibrated support to the Taliban while trying not to alienate Kabul”.

“Iranian involvement is most prominent in western, central, and northern Afghanistan, where local Afghans share common history, culture, religion, and language with Iran,” according to the report.

The Pentagon also pointed to the Russian and Chinese roles in Afghanistan and said, “Russia is engaging a wide range of actors in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, to secure its interests in Central Asia and to expand its influence in the region.”

“China’s military, economic, and political engagements in Afghanistan are driven by domestic security concerns that terrorism will spread across the Afghan border into China, and also by China’s increasing desire to protect its regional economic investments,” the Pentagon told US lawmakers.

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