Essential Points of the Taliban Peace Agreement with the United States and Its Consequence for Iran (2020-2021)

Abstract

On March 10, 2020, within an agreement between the USA and Taliban, a timetable to withdraw all foreign troops from Afghanistan, a practicalmechanism to prevent the use of Afghan territory against the security of the United States and its allies, efforts to achieve a comprehensive andlasting ceasefire in the inter-Afghan talks was announced. One of the critical points of the U.S. peace agreement with the Taliban is that it could havesignificant political economic security consequences for Iran; such as the limitation of the possibility of Iranian companies operating in Afghanistan, theduality of the positive security outcome due to the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the negative consequence of the increased instability in Afghanistan,the limitation of Iran’s security and economic presence due to the increased presence of Russia and China in Afghanistan, and could pave the wayfor the expansion of the influence of regional actors in conflict with Iran’s interests in Afghanistan. Strategies include in the peace Agreements were:• Developing multilateral mechanisms for cooperation with Russia and China,• expanding direct economic and security interaction with the Taliban, and• establishing a joint economic commission consisting of economic representatives of the Taliban and the Afghan government to strengtheneconomic security and take advantage of the economic and political consequences of the peace agreement.This article examines the peace agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban, Iran’s position against the Taliban, and the economicconsequences for Iran now that the Taliban took power. Iran is deeply concerned about the Taliban’s implications for its internal security, economicinterests, and regional position. Although Iran is pleased that American troops are no longer in Afghanistan and considers this a great victory, it hasbeen more cautious with its neighbor than ever before.To attain the goals of this qualitative research, a descriptive-analytical method is used. The advantages presented by this method include: enablingthe collection of a significant amount of data from different sources presented by different countries, China, Russia, USA, Iran, and Afghanistan, whichmakes the present research more reliable. The view is critical regarding existing circumstances on the impact of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistanon Ian political and economic situation. This article examines the possible consequences of this agreement by pointing out the possible geopoliticalchanges in the region.Keywords: Doha Peace Agreement, US, Afghanistan, Taliban, Foreign policy, Iran’s economy, Russia, China, Muslim Brotherhood