Islamabad: SEPT 1 /DNA/ -The relationship between Tehran and the Taliban was still evolving and the recent engagements were seemed to be a ‘makeshift arrangement’ said Prof. SM Farid Mirbagheri of Iran, adding that both Iran and Taliban remained at ideological odds on the issue of understanding and implementing the Islamic Sharia and the recent change in Iran’s policy towards Taliban can be attributed to its domestic as well as foreign policy concerns.  

Mr. Mirbagheri was speaking at a webinar organized by the Institute of Regional Studies on ‘Iran’s Foreign Policy in the post-withdrawal Afghanistan.’

Iran’s entry into Afghanistan as an active player was being viewed as Tehran’s attempt to earn greater negotiation leverage in the coming nuclear talks, said Prof. Mirbagheri. An element of insecurity with the rise of Taliban was also said to be a factor in transforming Iranian attitude towards Taliban, he added.

Talking about Iran’s nuclear negotiations, he said that the future was uncertain as Iran was looking to revive the same deal but on the other hand the new agreement was aiming to include Iran’s missile program. The missile program was indeed a cause of concern for US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and possibly some others and if ‘there was no agreement and Iran refused to new terms that P5+1 want to incorporate, this would carry a risk of Israel’s military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities’, he added. Such attacks would certainly provoke Iran, and the consequences for the region would be dangerous if this happened to be a case, he opined.

Iran didn’t want an agreement that limits its nuclear policy in the long run and said Prof. Mirbagheri, adding that Iran was not interested to have a kind of agreement that was again subject to US’ veto. He said that ‘the nuclear agreement had nothing to do with the nuclear weapons sanction imposed by the US, however, the agreement would be a lifeline for Iran.’

Responding to a question on Pakistan-Taliban relations and its impact on Iran-Pakistan relations, Prof. Mirbagheri said the relations between Iran and Pakistan were not likely to be deteriorated as both countries would not risk their bilateral relationships in the given scenario.