Iran's decision to close its borders with Afghanistan: a cure or an increase in tension?

Islam Qala crossing is one of the border points between Iran and Afghanistan (Al Jazeera)

Tehran and Kabul -

Although Afghanistan was for historical periods part of the Persian Empire, border disputes between them date back to before the era of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989, and then Tehran’s position on the civil war in its eastern neighbor.

After the historical, cultural, religious, and common language commonalities failed to contain the border dispute and the emerging conflict in the 1950s, due to Iran’s share of the water resources of the Helmand River, which flows into Lake Hamun in Iranian territory, the return of the Taliban movement to power in 2021 opened a new page in the complex relations. Between Tehran and Kabul.

But relations returned to a state of historical tension between the two parties, with the return of news of border clashes at times, and Tehran’s accusations of Kabul violating the Goldsmiths Treaty signed in 1972, and the accompanying veiled threats of Afghans’ readiness to seize Iranian territory at other times.

With deaths and injuries on both sides, as a result of repeated rounds of clashes between Iranian and Afghan border guard forces over the past two years, the authorities of Kabul and Tehran actively sought to adopt pragmatic views to control the heat of tension, but the dispute rose to the surface again, following the increase in terrorist operations and armed attacks. Eastern Iran.

Justifications for closure

Following the double explosion that occurred early last January in Kerman Province (eastern Iran), which killed more than 100 people and injured dozens, Iranian calls rose for the construction of a wall on the common border between Iran and Afghanistan.

Political researcher Farzad Ramadani Poonch points out the increase in security incidents in the eastern regions following the Taliban’s return to power, stressing that “illegal immigration, the smuggling of drugs, fuel and goods, and the infiltration of some terrorist elements from Afghanistan into Iranian territory constitute the most important justifications for Tehran to close its borders with Kabul.” ".

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, Poonch added, "Iranian public opinion is now demanding that its country's authorities put an end to the security events, the depletion of its economic wealth, the geostrategic challenges, and infectious diseases, by securing the Islamic Republic by controlling the rugged mountainous regions in the east of the country."

Researcher Bunch believes that Iran's plans aim to secure and guarantee the borders according to a precise plan that goes beyond just closure (Al Jazeera)

The Afghan position

Commenting on Iran’s plan to close its eastern border, 74 kilometers northeast of the country, with Afghanistan, the spokesman for the Taliban-led Afghan government, Zabihullah Mujahid, said, “No country - including the Islamic Republic of Iran - should be afraid of Afghanistan, because it is a country of security.” And stability.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Mujahid urged the Iranian authorities to coordinate with the Afghan side before taking any step regarding the border, adding that "there is no need for these measures now, and we will not allow anyone to use Afghan lands against others."

Afghan government sources confirmed that there were meetings held during the past year between representatives of the Afghan and Iranian governments to discuss a number of points about the common borders between the two countries, and although the Afghan side was able to recover some of the lands controlled by the neighbors, the dispute continues between Tehran and Kabul.

A source in the Afghan Foreign Ministry - who preferred to remain anonymous - told Al Jazeera Net, "The Iranian step came after the appointment of a committee by the Taliban movement regarding the renewal of the marks separating the Afghan border with its neighbors, and it has been proven to us that some neighbors have annexed Afghan lands in some areas."

The Afghan source believed that "Iran is concerned about raising tension on its common border with Afghanistan, which prompted it to propose a plan to close the border," stressing that Tehran's justification for the existence of security problems is "unconvincing," he said.

Commander of the Iranian Ground Forces, Kayumarth Heydari, says that the plan to close the border comes in the context of enhancing security (Iranian press)

Iranian criticism

On the other hand, the Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, Keumarth Heydari, last Friday criticized the Kabul government’s position regarding the plan to close the borders, stressing that “others cannot dictate to us their opinions on the issue of closing the borders, because this procedure is common in the context of enhancing security in the country.” All countries, and no one has the right to protest against that.”

The Iranian military commander pointed out that "permanently securing the country is a duty that burdens the armed forces, and achieving this sustainable security is sometimes achieved using drones or surveillance cameras, and at other times through the positioning of forces, and others do not have the right to decide about the measures that we intend to take within our borders." .

When reading between the lines of the latest Iranian announcement, political researcher Poonch says, “Tehran does not intend to build a wall or erect a fence along its border with Afghanistan, but rather aims to secure and guarantee the borders, according to a solid plan that goes beyond just closure.”

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, Bunch said, “Iran’s security of its borders is related to plans and procedures that Tehran resorts to implementing, due to the Afghan side’s lack of control over its borders, and that these measures may include building a wall or fence or digging a trench, or monitoring the borders through marches, and using modern technologies.” "other".

The Iranian expert pointed out that his country had previously erected a security fence within its territory at a distance of 30 kilometers following the American war in Afghanistan, and despite the success of the project in controlling the borders in the Zabul region, the Taliban authorities prevented Iranian farmers from entering their lands behind the fences, claiming that the fence is located at a point Zero border.

Joint committees

The former Iranian diplomat in Kandahar and former head of the Afghanistan Support Committee in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mohsen Rouhi Safat, attributed the cause of the border skirmishes between his country and Afghanistan to “the behavior of the Taliban forces to control Iranian lands located behind the security fence in the Sistan region in the east of the country,” stressing that his country carried out precise operations that led to To the retreat of the Afghan border guard forces to the zero border points.

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, Rawhi Safat pointed out that Afghanistan did not adhere to its obligations in the Goldsmith Treaty regarding Iran’s share of Helmand waters, and its failure to cooperate to resolve the crisis through the joint committees that were formed last year for this purpose, adding that “it would have been better for the Afghan side to demand to be informed of the Iran plans to secure the borders, not coordination with them, because international laws guarantee all countries the right to secure their borders.”

Rouhi called on the Taliban to implement similar plans to secure their borders, and not allow illegal immigrants and smugglers to cross to the Iranian side, and suggested to Tehran and Kabul “activating joint border committees to resolve border disputes, and for Iran to continue assisting the Afghan side in building border posts, training its forces, and supplying it with modern technologies to secure the border.” Shared.

Source: Al Jazeera