In Afghanistan, the U.S. and Iran share a common enemy - the Taliban - and a history of productive military, strategic and diplomatic cooperation to topple the Taliban and fight al-Qaeda.  That collaboration came to an end after the Bush administration labeled Iran a member of the "axis of evil" and rebuffed Iranian overtures.

In the coming months, Afghanistan will again be at a political crossroads.  The U.S. would benefit from engaging Iran as a regional ally in support of political stability, secure borders, economic development and anti-drug measures in Afghanistan.  History suggests Iran can still be a willing and useful partner - if the overall relationship can be improved.

Key Points

The U.S. and Iran have a remarkable and little-known history of productive cooperation in Afghanistan

Though most Americans aren't aware of it, Iran has been a critical ally in America's fight against the Taliban in the past. Afther 9/11, Iran and America fought the Taliban together. Iran's Revolutionary Guard supplied and funded U.S.-supported commanders of the Northern Alliance.

After the Taliban was toppled, the United States and Iran worked together to form the new Afghan government.  Iran contributed $750 million to reconstruction -- a huge sum for Iran -- and even offered to work under U.S. command to help rebuild the Afghan National Army.¹

But when Iran sought to turn this collaboration into an opportunity for broader dialog with the United States, it was rebuffed.

As Ambassador James Dobbins reports, shortly after the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, senior Iranian officials expressed interest in opening a broader dialog with the United States for the purpose of improving the bilateral relationship.  Their overture was ignored, and Iran was called, instead, part of an "axis of evil" -- along with two other countries with which Iran had no relations or hostile relations.

As calls for regime change or armed attacks on Iran grew louder in Washington, Iran's commitment to cooperation in Afghanistan dimmed.  Reports surfaced that elements of the Revolutionary Guard were actually aiding the Taliban against the United States, just as the United States had previously aided the same group against the Soviet Union two decades earlier.²

In just two short years, productive cooperation deteriorated into mutual suspicion and dangerous hostility.  The Obama administration has an opportunity to reverse course-and to better protect American interests and security by doing so.

The U.S. and Iran still share common goals in Afghanistan. History shows that Iran can help the U.S. succeed in Afghanistan - or it can make America's task there even harder.

Despite the deterioration in U.S.-Iran relations since 2002, the United States and Iran still share interests in Afghanistan.  Both countries oppose the Taliban and al Qaeda and would like to see them gone.  Both want a strong and stable Afghan state that is able to control the movement of guns and weapons.  Neither country wants an Afghanistan that sends hordes of refugees seeking safety in other countries.  An objective basis for cooperation exists.³

Recommendation

Our troops are fighting a very difficult war in a desolate and remote region.  They need all the help they can get.  Despite huge differences on many other issues, Afghanistan is one area where the United States and Iran have common interests, have worked together productively in the past, and should be able to do so again.  The United States should seek to restore a productive working relationship with Iran in confronting the Taliban threat in Afghanistan.