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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Iran's Policy Towards Afghanistan, Mohsen M. Milani
Iran's Policy Towards Afghanistan, Mohsen M. Milani
Mohsen M. Milani
Since 1979, Iran's objectives in Afghanistan have changed as Afghanistan's domestic landscape changed. Still, Iran has consistently sought to see a stable and independent Afghanistan,with Herat as a buffer zone and with a Tehran friendly government in Kabul,a government that reflects the rich ethnic diversity of the country. Toward those and other goals, Iran has created "spheres of influence" inside Afghanistan. During the Soviet occupation (1979-88), Iran created an "ideological sphere of influence" by empowering the Shi'ites. Iran then created a "political sphere of influence" by unifying the Dari/Persian-speaking minorities, who ascended to power. Iranian policies added fuel to the …
Iran’S Transformation From A Revolutionary To A Status Power In The Persian Gulf, Mohsen M. Milani
Iran’S Transformation From A Revolutionary To A Status Power In The Persian Gulf, Mohsen M. Milani
Mohsen M. Milani
In what follows, I will discuss the transformation of Iran’s Persian Gulf policy since 1979, its role in past regional security regimes, its reaction to the emerging strategic situation in the region, and its current policy toward Iraq. I will make four main arguments. First, the collapse of Saddam Husayn has accelerated Iran’s transformation from a revolutionary to a regional status quo power in search of creating “spheres of influence.” One of Iran’s ultimate strategic goals is to become a hub for the transit of goods and services between the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, Central Asia, and possibly China. Second, …