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Memri
01-08-2025
- Business
- Memri
The Strategic Importance Of The Khaf-Herat Railway: Iran Eyes Access To Central Asia And China Through Afghanistan
On July 8, 2025, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) announced on its official website that the construction of the fourth and final segment of the Khaf-Herat railway was now 87 percent completed, revealing an expedited push by the Taliban leaders to build the railway line connecting the Iranian city of Khaf (also spelled Khawaf) to Herat in Afghanistan.[1] Some 80 kilometers of the 220-kilometer railroad are located in Iran, and the remaining 140 kilometers stretch from the border to the Afghan city of Herat. A report of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture added that Iran had connected its eastern rail network to Afghanistan through this project. Once completed, the rail network would connect Afghanistan to Turkey and Europe, and Iran to Central Asia and China.[2] According to the report, the Khaf-Herat project has four parts: two on Iranian soil and two in Afghanistan. Three phases of the railway project are already complete, while the Taliban's announcement indicates that the railway line will be ready on time by this year or early 2026.[3] On the map showing Iran's rail network, the section outlined in red shows the intended link from city of Khaf to Herat in Afghanistan (map courtesy: The Taliban website noted: "Upon the successful establishment of the Khaf-Herat railway, Afghanistan will be seamlessly linked to neighboring nations, the region, and the global network through rail connections. This development will not only reduce transportation costs and enhance speed, but also reduce distances between regions, facilitating the export of Afghan goods to global markets."[4] The Khaf-Herat railway is the missing link for both Iran and Afghanistan. For Iran, it enables Iranian trains to forge further connections from Herat onward to Central Asia (since Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are already connected by rail to the border of Afghanistan) and to China sometime in the future. For Afghanistan, this railway line first connects to the country to the Iranian railway network and onward to Turkey and Europe. The strategic importance of railway was earlier examined by the Iranian website in a report titled: "The Strategic Importance of Khaf-Herat Railway." Excerpts from the report are given below.[5] "Another Importance That This Railway Has For Iran In A More Strategic Way... Is [In Forging] This Country's Connection To Central Asia And China Through Afghanistan" "The Khaf-Herat railway is strategically important for both Afghanistan and Iran in several ways. Apart from the fact that Iran's railway connection to Afghanistan is considered a major step in diversifying the country's connection with another neighbor, it clearly provides Iran with the opportunity to fulfill its long-term goal of increasing exports to Afghanistan. "Although the amount of Iran's exports to Afghanistan is currently in a good condition compared to other Afghanistan's neighbors, relying solely on trade from road routes in the future will not be sufficient to respond to the increasing speed of that country's exports to Afghanistan... "Afghanistan is currently connected to its two northern neighbors Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan through rail. Therefore, the increase in Afghanistan's future import capacities requires Iran to be connected to Afghanistan through more rail lines. Another importance that this railway has for Iran is strategic – of course, not at the moment, but in the future – is this country's connection to Central Asia and China through Afghanistan. "Although Afghanistan still lacks a rail network system, and the current final route of the discussed railway is Herat, this railway has the capacity to connect Iran to Central Asian countries and China..." "Through This Railway, Afghanistan Is Easily Connected To Iran's Sea Ports In The Caspian Sea"; "On A Larger Scale, Afghanistan Will Be Connected To The Turkish Railway Network Through The Iranian Railway" "Apart from the importance of Khaf-Herat railway for Iran, the construction of this railway is considered much more valuable for Afghanistan. The first advantage of this railway for Afghanistan is connecting Afghanistan to the national railway network of Iran. Through this railway, Afghanistan is connected to the Mashhad-Zahedan-Chabahar railway network. On the other hand, through this railway, Afghanistan is easily connected to Iran's sea ports on the Caspian Sea. "On a larger scale, Afghanistan will be connected to the Turkish railway network through the Iranian railway network, and through it to the European transcontinental railway network. In fact, it is amazing to imagine how far the Khaf-Herat railway can connect Afghanistan to the railway networks in Southwest Asia and Europe. "The key importance of this advantage becomes more prominent when we compare it with the Lapis Lazuli Route. In the past, Afghanistan paid great attention to the Lapis Lazuli Project [connecting Afghanistan to Europe through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey] to connect with Europe and made great efforts to implement it. (map courtesy: "Although the Lapis Lazuli Route also has its particular advantages, but compared to it, the Iranian route which connects Afghanistan to Europe by covering a very short distance through an integrated network of railways, is far superior in all respects. "Another importance and advantage of the Khaf-Herat railway for Afghanistan is that this railway enables a low-cost, high-speed access as well as the transfer of large volumes of goods from Iran's sea and land ports to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has always suffered from the lack of access to seaports. The Khaf-Herat railway makes Iran's sea and land ports accessible to Afghanistan..." "After The Return Of The Taliban To Power In Afghanistan, The Restoration And Activation Of This Railway Shows The Strong Interest Of The Taliban Authorities To Have Good Relations With Iran" "On the other hand, although Afghanistan has access to seaports through Pakistan, this access is currently provided through roadways, while the Khaf-Herat railway provides this access by rail, which is considered a double advantage. Another important issue that the Khaf-Herat railway brings to Afghanistan is the multi-purpose use of this railway by Afghanistan. "In short, Afghanistan can make three simultaneous uses of this railway. First, using this railway for cheaper and faster access to Iranian products; second, utilizing this railway to access Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea; and third, connecting to Turkey and Europe through this railway. "Along with the economic advantages of Khaf-Herat railway, the activation of this line also brings positive political feedback for both countries. Although this railway was opened during the previous government of Afghanistan, the reactivation of it is very important in the current situation when the Taliban are in control of Afghanistan. After the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, the restoration and activation of this railway indicates the great interest of the Taliban authorities to have good relations with Iran. "Meanwhile, some plotters are waiting to destroy Afghanistan's good relations with Iran, and they are creating such an atmosphere that it seems as if the Islamic Emirate [Afghan Taliban] will experience tension and conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Apart from this positive feedback, the expansion of economic relations between countries helps to further warm political relations..." "This Railway Can Be The Starting Point Of Regional Corridors Such As The Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Railway, Five Nations Railway Corridor..."; "The Launch Of The Khaf-Herat Railway Can Be An Incentive To Connect To The China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Railway Which Is Currently Active" "Regional Importance "The regional importance of Khaf-Herat railway is that it connects the two major regions of East and West Asia. Apart from the fact that each of the countries of Central Asia, especially Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, can connect to Iran through this railway in Afghanistan and use Iran's geographical location to connect to Southwest Asia and the Persian Gulf, this railway could be the starting point of regional corridors, such as the Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, Five Nations Railway Corridor (FNRC), the China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Iran corridor, and [become] an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative [of China]. "Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Railway: The Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway plan, whose agreement was signed by officials of these three countries about four years ago [in 2020], is the first and most urgent plan that is just waiting for implementation. Now, with the activation of the Khaf-Herat railway, there is no more room for delay in its implementation. This project, which can connect Tajikistan to Iran through Afghanistan, is considered an urgent priority for the three countries and is an incentive for another larger project known as the Five Nations Corridor. (Map source: Google) "The Five Nations Corridor, which includes China and Kyrgyzstan in addition to the aforementioned three countries, is a grand plan to connect East Asia to West Asia. If this transit line is built, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China will be connected through a railway network. "In addition to rail access to other countries, the countries along this route also benefit from the advantages of goods transit. Also, the launch of the Khaf-Herat railway can be an incentive to connect it to the China-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan railway which is currently active. The implementation of this project is perhaps the easiest and cheapest plan, because only the two cities of Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif need to be connected through a railway. With the construction of this part of the railway, China in the east and Iran in the west will be easily connected to each other... "With the active and large railway network of Iran, as well as the Turkish railway network in the west and the Central Asian railway network in the east, the only minor task is to connect Herat to Mazar-e-Sharif inside Afghanistan. By completing this section, a route of several thousand kilometers will be connected to each other."
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Why India Should Be Wary As China Tries To 'Realign' Pak And Taliban
The Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is now edging towards completing its fourth year in power. In the past four years, India's outreach to the regime has progressed incrementally, transitioning to a more overt but cautiously pragmatic engagement. The latest phone call between India's External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, and the interim Foreign Minister of the IEA, Amir Khan Muttaqi, marked an important milestone in this engagement. The Meeting With Muttaqi The External Affairs Minister (EAM) expressed gratitude towards Muttaqi for condemning the terror attack in Pahalgam and appreciated that they did not buy into attempts to sow distrust between the two countries, an indirect reference to misleading claims made by Pakistan. Over the years, New Delhi's strategy has evolved, making sure that the Taliban are cognisant of their security considerations while slowly committing to increasing its humanitarian and development cooperation with the country. In January this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had met Muttaqi in Dubai, the most high-level engagement between the two sides. This also came in the aftermath of the deterioration of ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the two engaged in strikes and counter-strikes in December 2024. For India, a reduction in Pakistan's influence in Kabul gives it more space to increase its engagement and better secure its strategic and security interests in the region. The importance of Chabahar port for trade, delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and distancing Kabul from its over-dependence on Islamabad is also seen as an avenue for cooperation. All Are Warming Up To Taliban However, while New Delhi has increased the tempo of its outreach, other countries in the region have been more forthcoming in their engagement. Russia recently removed the Taliban from its list of terror organisations, albeit temporarily. Iran and Central Asian Republics, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and even Tajikistan, have also increased their engagement with the group. The Taliban also leverages these developments, reiterating their neutral foreign policy based on mutual interests and a quid pro quo approach. When the latest conflict between India and Pakistan was still going on, the Taliban highlighted their relationship with both countries and urged them to show restraint and resolve the issues through dialogue. While India has increased its outreach to the group in the last few weeks, with the call and the April 27 meeting with an Indian delegation led by the Joint Secretary from the MEA, Muttaqi has also been engaging with his counterparts from Pakistan and China. China Plays 'Broker' Following up on the meeting of the Special Representatives of Pakistan and China in Kabul on May 10 in which they met Muttaqi, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Muttaqi convened in China for a trilateral consultation with China's Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, on May 20-21. The three sides reaffirmed their commitment to develop their relations based on mutual interests and good neighbourliness. They also committed to increasing cooperation in the economic and connectivity front and agreed to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. At the same time, the statement from the emirate did not mention any security cooperation; the Pakistani and Chinese statements referred to their opposition to all forms of terrorism and their commitment to counter it through increased security and law enforcement cooperation. Muttaqi also committed not to let Afghan territory be used against any of its neighbouring countries in his bilateral meeting with Wang Yi. China's Foreign Affairs Ministry also released an outcome statement on the meeting, highlighting Beijing's resolve to assist in increasing the diplomatic engagement between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the statement, Yi mentioned that both Kabul and Islamabad have agreed to exchange ambassadors 'in principle' and that Beijing will provide all assistance to improve their ties. Not All Is Well In Afghanistan The economic commitments made in the statements still have a long way to go, and no progress has been made on the CPEC, with none expected in the near future. But in the aftermath of the conflict between India and Pakistan, China's bid to realign Pakistan and Afghanistan under its sphere can be problematic for New Delhi. For the Taliban, while a good relationship with India allows it to assert its independence from Islamabad, it is for New Delhi to see if its ties with the Taliban can reap the benefits it wishes to get. Even as the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan has deteriorated significantly in the past three-and-a-half years, the two sides have been trying to address their issues and re-engage. In the aftermath of India's military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, certain terror groups in Afghanistan, particularly the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), released a statement calling the strikes an 'act of aggression' and resolved to unleash a 'jihad' against the country. As India advances its relationship with the regime, it should also be mindful of the threat posed by the presence of these groups in the country. While the Taliban deny it and deem all international reports as being politically motivated, there are still several terrorist outfits functioning in Afghanistan. The Taliban's ability and willingness to counter them and other groups are still circumspect. While the current regional status quo does give New Delhi more space and incentive to work with the regime in Kabul, the Emirate's ties with China and Pakistan, and the latter's growing coordination on Afghanistan, do pose a huge risk to New Delhi's outreach.
Memri
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Iranian Interior Minister Iskander Momeni: '1.1 Million Afghan Refugees Have Been Sent Back To Afghanistan'
Amid media reports that Afghan refugees in Iran are facing increasing persecution by Iranian officials, Iran's Interior Minister Iskander Momeni disclosed in an interview on February 1, 2025, that, since March 2024, Tehran has deported 1.1 million Afghan refugees. [1] An earlier statement by Iran's Chief Commander of Law Enforcement (FARAJA) had noted that the number of Afghan refugees deported by Iran is expected to reach two million by the end of the current solar year, ending March 20, 2025. [2] While Afghans generally migrate to Iran in search of jobs, the number of Afghan refugees in Iran rose after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) took over Kabul in August 2021. Simultaneously, Iranian officials began rounding up Afghan refugees and deporting them back to Afghanistan. "Afghans are being deported, and even if you have a passport, some of their officers tear it up and say you have no documents at all, and then they send you to a detention camp," one Afghan migrant said. [3] Afghan refugees deported by Iran (image: According to a media report, Afghan refugees in Iran say that, in addition to their economic challenges, issues such as the disconnection of SIM cards add to their problems. "The disconnection of SIM cards and bank cards is among the issues worth mentioning. According to the new regulations of the Ministry of Roads and Transportation, Afghan migrants must pay higher amounts to use buses," said Asadullah Zairi, one of the migrants in Iran. [4] Hossein Sharafati, director-general of foreign nationals and migrants in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran, noted in an interview that even "legal" Afghan migrants do not have the right to reside or work. "None of the Afghan nationals, whether authorized or unauthorized, have the right to reside or work in the seven border cities of the province, and identifying these individuals has become a priority for relevant authorities," Sharafati said. [5] Following are excerpts from a media report based on the statement of Iran's Interior Minister Iskander Momeni who confirmed the deportation of 1.1 million Afghans: [6] A screenshot of the report published by "Iskandar Momeni, Iran's Minister of the Interior, announced on Saturday, February 1, that since the beginning of March last year [2024], 1.1 million Afghan refugees have been sent back to Afghanistan from Iran. "Momeni made these remarks during a special interview with Iran's state television, IRIB News. He highlighted that, as of now, there are six million foreign nationals living in Iran. He also pointed out that two million of these people are residing in Iran illegally, even for short-term stays. "Minister Momeni reminded that there are limited job opportunities available for both refugees and local citizens. Furthermore, international assistance to address the needs of the migrant population is still lacking. "Although Afghan migrants have historically been present in Iran, the number of migrants has increased significantly since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Factors such as a lack of job opportunities, poverty, insecurity, and ethnic discrimination under Taliban rule have forced many Afghan citizens to flee their homeland. "The large number of Afghan refugees in Iran is placing immense pressure on the country's resources. With limited opportunities for both refugees and local populations, Iran faces a challenging situation. The need for international cooperation to support both the migrants and host communities is becoming more urgent. Given the ongoing political instability in Afghanistan, long-term solutions to the refugee crisis are necessary. International organizations and governments must work together to create sustainable plans that support refugees while addressing the root causes of displacement, such as conflict and lack of opportunity in Afghanistan." [1] (Afghanistan), February 2, 2025. [2] (Afghanistan), October 19, 2024. [3] (Afghanistan), October 19, 2024. [4] (Afghanistan), January 8, 2025. [5] (Afghanistan), October 11, 2024. [6] (Afghanistan), February 2, 2025.
