CIAO DATE: 08/2013
June 2013
Center for Strategic and International Studies
US and Iranian competition in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan has taken on renewed significance amid recent elections in Pakistan, and the upcoming Transition in Afghanistan. Rising anxiety over the withdrawal of US forces, ongoing regional instability, and continued tension over Iran’s nuclear program contribute to escalating competition between the US-Iranian competition in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan. This new report provides a detailed analysis of Iran’s political and economic links to Afghanistan, as well as to Pakistan, India, and each of the Central Asian states. It identifies how each such relationship is both effected by -- and can shape -- US-Iranian competition. It explains Tehran’s links to western Afghanistan, its unique relationship with the Taliban, and the importance of Iran for facilitating key exports from the region. It highlights how the US-Iranian competition impacts Iran-Pakistan relations, and the threats that closer Iran-Pakistan ties could pose to US security interests.
Resource link: US and Iranian Strategic Competition: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Central Asia [PDF] - 1.8M