Iran’s Support for the Taliban: A Key Factor in the Fall of Afghanistan

Kokcha News Agency: The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021 was hastened by Iran’s covert support for the militant group, according to former Afghan officials and international experts. Iran’s financial aid, estimated at $100 million annually since 2012, along with military and logistical assistance, significantly bolstered the Taliban’s capabilities, particularly in the southwestern provinces of Nimroz, Farah, Badghis, and Herat.

The collapse of Nimroz in August 2021 marked a turning point in the Taliban’s rapid advance. The province, located in the remote southwestern region of Afghanistan, fell with minimal resistance. Videos and images from the event showed Iranian border guards preventing Afghan military tanks from crossing into Iran, effectively sealing the border and leaving Afghan forces stranded. Hundreds of residents attempting to flee into Iran were also denied entry.

Former Afghan officials claim that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided the Taliban with key military equipment, including sniper rifles and explosive barrels, which turned the tide of the war in their favor. These explosive barrels, filled with homemade bombs, caused significant casualties among Afghan government forces and became a symbol of the Taliban’s battlefield successes.

Iran’s support for the Taliban reportedly intensified after the 2020 Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban, as Tehran anticipated the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s eventual rise to power. A former senior US Department of Defense official told Afghanistan International that Iran had been providing at least $100 million annually to the Taliban since 2012. Carter Malkasian, a former NATO advisor, noted that while Iran’s support was minimal in the early years of the US presence in Afghanistan, it increased significantly after 2012.

The IRGC’s Quds Force allegedly supplied the Taliban with weapons, explosives, night-vision equipment, and surveillance drones, as well as training in their use. British forces in Helmand province had previously intercepted shipments of Iranian-made weapons, including Russian-made SA-14 surface-to-air missiles, further corroborating these claims.

Despite these allegations, the Afghan government never officially accused Iran of supporting the Taliban. However, local commanders in southwestern provinces, including Helmand, reported capturing Iranian-made weapons, such as the Fajr missile, which has a range of up to 80 kilometers.

The fall of Nimroz set off a chain reaction, with the Taliban quickly capturing most of Afghanistan’s provinces within two weeks. While some regions, such as Herat, Takhar, Balkh, and Helmand, saw brief resistance, these efforts ultimately collapsed. The rapid takeover of Nimroz marked the beginning of the Taliban’s swift and decisive victory, paving the way for their complete control of Afghanistan.