Iran should step ...
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How do you view the recent border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan, and what do they reveal about the shifting nature of their relationship?
There is reason for concern as these border clashes can easily escalate into full-fledged war that may draw regional powers like India into the conflict. What the altered nature of relations between the Taliban and Pakistan demonstrate is that nothing in international relations remains the same. This is why tactical alliances should be accompanied with deeper and more strategic ones. The ease with which the Taliban government has switched from reliance on Islamabad to New Delhi suggests that similar somersaults are likely in the future as well, especially once we factor in the Chinese role in Afghanistan.
In your opinion, what are the implications of the Taliban’s increasing engagement with India for Pakistan’s foreign policy and regional strategy?
Taliban entanglements with India will only serve to heighten the deep distrust and suspicion that informs relations between the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani establishment. Even if a full-scale war is avoided, the Taliban refusal to concede Pakistan’s demands on the TTP will keep relations between the two countries on edge with the possibility of a major conflagration always around the corner.
How might these evolving dynamics affect the overall balance of power in South Asia?
Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad will be immensely detrimental for regional peace in addition to adversely impacting Afghanistan’s transborder trade with both Pakistan and India. The possibility of heightened activities by a Kabul backed TTP will result in air strikes by Pakistan and sour relations even further.
From your perspective, what potential strategic interests or opportunities could Iran pursue amid these regional transformations?
Iran can and should consider playing a mediational role between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. But this will require Tehran to make a clear decision whether its interests are better served by backing a Taliban-India alliance or a reconfigured Pakistan-Afghanistan alliance.