Iran is one of a handful of countries to make clear they are not shutting the door on the government being formed by the Taliban.
It comes amid global fears over the future of Afghanistan under the militants, underlined by the chaotic removal of diplomats and at-risk Afghans from Kabul airport.
While other countries are closing embassies and reassessing relations, Iran, along with Russia, China and Pakistan, said it would maintain its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. Iran's embassy in Kabul and its consulate in Herat, on its eastern border, remain “fully open and operational”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
Iran’s response to the swift fall of President Ashraf Ghani's western-backed government and the Taliban takeover is not a surprise, said Sanam Vakil, a senior research fellow at Chatham House.
“Tehran has been preparing for the reality of the Taliban with pragmatism by negotiating with the group to protect its interests, its border, its economic interests that have been important to combat sanctions pressure and to protect the targeting of Shia groups," Ms Vakil told The National.
This pragmatism should not be misread, Ms Vakil said. There is no love lost between Iran and the Taliban. In fact, most Iranians fear the Taliban's radicalism.
In 1998, two years after seizing power for the first time, the Taliban killed 11 diplomats and a journalist in Tehran's mission in Mazar-i-Sharif. Iran responded by moving 10,000 troops to the Afghan border in addition to the 70,000 already there.
Iran's support for the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan is said to have been a key element in the toppling of the Taliban regime and to have ushered in the presidency of Hamid Karzai. Iran supported the training of the Afghan army. One prominent Afghan leader told the RAND think tank that "if it weren’t for Iran, our western friends would not be able to come today so easily and tell us about all the things they have done for us”.
The Iranian stance was partly to ensure its security and partly to support an initiative by then president Mohammad Khatami to open dialogue with the West. It also coincided with the US and Iran's shared interest in preventing narcotics production, border insecurity and the flow of refugees from Afghanistan. But this changed with US president George W Bush's rejection of these overtures, in which he branded Iran part of an "axis of evil", and the combative, anti-west policies adopted by Mr Khatami's successor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Afshon Ostovar, associate chairman for the research department of national security affairs at The Naval Postgraduate School in California, said Iran had pursued a "multifaceted strategy" which included both working with the post-2001 Afghan government and helping the Taliban insurgency against US forces.
"Today, the Taliban and Iran have a good working relationship. They're not partners or allies, but they did have a shared interest regarding ending the US military presence in Afghanistan,” Mr Ostovar told The National.
Just a few weeks prior to the Taliban takeover, Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, made it clear that Tehran expected the foreign, meaning American, presence in the region to end. He called the US decision to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan “an opportunity to restore life, security, and lasting peace in that country”.
Iran’s outgoing foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, even hosted the Taliban in Tehran in July this year for a meeting with envoys of the US-backed Kabul government.
But while Iran wants the US out of Afghanistan, it is also keen that its eastern neighbour remains stable.
“Iran wants to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a pillar of US influence in the region," Mr Ostovar said.
"Beyond that, Iran would of course like a measure of security and stability in Afghanistan so that trade can continue unimpeded, and a refugee crisis be avoided. Those goals are currently contradictory, and how Iran's approach to Afghanistan might evolve with the transition to Taliban rule is yet to be seen.”
For now, Tehran seems to be "cautiously optimistic", he said.
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
