It’s Time to Confront Afghanistan and Iran About Al-Qaeda

Excerpt

Iran’s nuclear program is at the heart of its ongoing standoff with the United States, but Washington also needs to confront Iran on another key issue: its persistent support for al-Qaeda and its ongoing relationship with the Taliban.

Saif al-Adel, a top al-Qaeda leader, resides in Tehran under the protection of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the UN Security Council’s Monitoring Team. Al-Adel is the likely successor to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former al-Qaeda chieftain killed by a US airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, five years ago.

The Taliban remains as close to al-Qaeda as ever, and its leadership has publicly inserted itself into the tense standoff between the United States and Iran, siding with the Iranian regime. On February 15, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Radio Iran’s Pashto service that if the United States were to launch an attack on Iran and Tehran requested assistance, the Taliban would cooperate and show solidarity with the Iranian regime. Mujahid was circumspect in his remarks, noting Afghanistan preferred a diplomatic settlement between Washington and Tehran, and adding that Afghan support to Iran in the event of a military confrontation would necessarily be within Afghanistan’s somewhat limited “capacity.” The Taliban statement should serve as a stark reminder of the regime’s disdain for the United States—and fierce opposition to the possibility of the US assuming an expanded position of strength along Afghanistan’s western border.

Al-Qaeda Never Stopped Working with the Taliban

The purpose of Mujahid’s comments was almost certainly to gain good will with the Iranian regime. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the relationship between the two countries has been a mixture of engagement and localized conflict. There have been ongoing disputes over resources, borders, refugees and migrants, and the Taliban’s treatment of its Shia Hazara minority, which Shia-majority Iran has long assumed an informal protective role over. Nevertheless, the Iranian regime is close to formally recognizing the Taliban, which would make it only the second nation after Russia to do so.

Joe Zacks recently retired from the CIA as its Deputy Assistant Director for Counterterrorism.  Prior to his retirement, he spent over 42 years in the US Army and Central Intelligence Agency.  He is currently the co-founder and managing partner of Aardwolf Global Solutions, a strategic intelligence and advisory firm, a national security contributor to CBS News, and an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.