Former Interior Minister: Haibatullah Has Created a Force Similar to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

Kokcha News Agency – Ali Ahmad Jalali, former Afghan Interior Minister and professor at the U.S. National Defense University, stated that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is a strategic asset for the Islamic Republic of Iran. He believes that Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, has created a force similar to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards by emulating the Islamic Republic’s model.

In an interview with Afghanistan International on Tuesday, Jalali emphasized that the Taliban’s hostility toward the West and the United States is of particular importance to Iran. According to Jalali, the relationship between Iran and the Taliban is not only strategic but also economic. He argued that the Taliban does not pose a threat to Iran; instead, given the group’s opposition to the West, it operates in line with Iran’s interests.

Jalali also highlighted the Taliban’s role in fighting ISIS, stating that this is one of the reasons for Iran’s interest in strengthening ties with the Taliban. He further compared the Taliban and the Islamic Republic, noting that both regimes share common characteristics: they are dictatorial, with all matters under the control of a single leader, they have a unified ideology, and each has a special military force.

Jalali added that in totalitarian systems, the leader plays a central role, and Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s leader, embodies this totalitarianism. He stressed that Haibatullah has consolidated control over the Taliban’s government and military, creating a force similar to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards from the Pashtun tribe.

Diverging Views on Iran’s Influence:
However, Arin Sharifi, an international security researcher, offered a different perspective, claiming that there is no close strategic relationship between Iran and the Taliban. Sharifi pointed out that while the Taliban has historically acted as a proxy group for Iran and Pakistan, Iran’s influence in Afghanistan has significantly diminished compared to the period of the republic.

According to Sharifi, during the republic era, Iran’s influence in Afghan institutions was much greater than it is today. He also emphasized that a strategic alliance between Iran and the Taliban is impossible, as the Islamic Republic, being an extremist Shia regime, cannot form a strategic alliance with the extremist Sunni Taliban.