India, Iran reject Islamic Emirate's return to Afghanistan as US troops drawdown nears

India and Iran have jointly opposed the possible return of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan asserting that the war-torn nation could not go “backwards”, Afghanistan Times reported. Back in 1996, after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban had established a totalitarian regime in the country and named it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. However, their rule ended just after five years after the militant organisation was overthrown by the Northern alliance.

However, as the US readies its troops to leave the Afghan soil, both Tehran and New Delhi have expressed concerns about the Islamic Emirate. Speaking on Saturday, the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs called it an ‘existential threat” against Pakistan and a “national security threat” for Iran and India. Furthermore, he asserted that India was not a rival to Pakistan when it came to the Afghanistan crisis. “This is an illusion to think that what India does in Afghanistan indirectly targets Pakistan. These words harm India’s efforts in Afghanistan,” he added.

"We need to put our differences aside and focus on our commons including the reality that the Islamic Emirate is an existential threat against Pakistan and a national security threat for Iran and India," said Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif echoing Jaishankar’s stance.

US troops withdrawal 

The statement comes days after Pentagon asserted that the US might increase the number of soldiers to ensure a safe and orderly drawdown of its troops from the conflict-prone area. At present, there are a total of 28,000 troops stationed in the Islamic Republic, all of whom would be pulled out by September 11. However, considering threats from an ever emboldened Taliban, Pentagon stated that it was possible that additional soldiers would be added to troops in the near future.

Addressing press reporters, John Kirby, Spokesperson for the US Department of Defense said that it was not out of the “realm of possibility” that for a short period of time there would be some “additional enabling capabilities” added to Afghanistan. He added that this would be solely with a motive to facilitate a “safe, orderly and deliberately planned drawdown” of the troops by President Biden’s announced deadline. However, the spokesperson refrained from providing any details into the number or nature of the addition.

Image Credits: AP/PTI