The Complex Geopolitics Of Afghanistan And Iraq: A Borderless Divide

Afghanistan and Iraq do not share a border. Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South Asia, bordered by Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Iraq, on the other hand, is a Middle Eastern country, bordered by Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey.

While Afghanistan and Iraq do not share a physical border, they do share some similarities. Both countries have experienced significant political upheaval and conflict in recent decades, involving the United States and other international powers.

Afghanistan shares a border with Iran, not Iraq

The border between the two countries was formalised in the period 1872-1935 by a series of third-party arbitrations, stemming from the Treaty of Paris (1857) in which Persia and Afghanistan agreed to refer any dispute between them to Britain for arbitration. A rough delimitation was proposed in 1872 by a committee headed by Sir Frederic John Goldsmid following a line from Banda to Kuh-i-Malik Siah (a hill at the modern Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan tripoint) via the Helmand River.

In recent years, there have been clashes between Afghan and Iranian guards at the border, raising fears of a new conflict. In May 2023, deadly clashes broke out between the two sides, resulting in the deaths of at least two Iranian and one Afghan guard. The reason for the clashes is still unknown, but they appear to be related to a dispute over water-sharing from the Helmand River, which flows from Afghanistan towards eastern Iran. Despite a treaty in place since 1973 on the sharing of the river's waters, the two sides have continued to wrangle over the issue.

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world

Afghanistan does not share a border with Iraq. However, Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia with a population of around 19.2 million. The country has been ravaged by decades of war and conflict, dating back to the Soviet invasion in 1979. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. military maintained a presence in the country, and although NATO ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, insurgent forces continue to threaten the country's stability.

The country's standing government is considered one of the most corrupt in the world, and Afghanistan is heavily dependent on foreign aid. Citizens regularly suffer from shortages of clean water and electricity, and the country's living standards are among the lowest in the world. The economy is largely based on agriculture, which makes up about half of the country's economic activity and provides at least half of all employment.

Despite improvements in life expectancy, incomes, and literacy since 2001, Afghanistan remains extremely poor. The government faces challenges such as low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak governance, and poor public infrastructure. The withdrawal of foreign troops has also negatively impacted the economy, as a substantial portion of commerce catered to the international troop presence.

The recent Taliban takeover has further exacerbated the country's economic woes. The Taliban's ban on women working is a significant obstacle to economic growth, and the country's economy is expected to stagnate until at least 2025. The loss of foreign aid will also hurt, as overseas aid traditionally covered about three-quarters of Afghan government spending.

To reduce poverty, Afghanistan must focus on strengthening its agriculture sector, investing in human development, and managing and mitigating risks that increase the vulnerability of its people.

The Afghanistan-Iran border is 921km long

The border follows a series of short straight lines, passing through the salt lakes of Daryache-ye Namakzar and Daqq-e Patergan, before reaching the middle 'Turkish section' which consists of a series of straight lines through a plain, with some mountains to the south. This section ends at Kuh Siah mountain, where the border veers sharply to the east, cutting through Hamun Lake before turning south and following the Juy-e Siksar River down to its confluence with the Helmand River. From here, the border is formed of a long straight line segment going southwest to the tripoint with Pakistan.

The border between Persia and Afghanistan was formalised between 1872 and 1935, stemming from the Treaty of Paris in 1857, in which both parties agreed to refer any dispute to Britain for arbitration. A rough delimitation was proposed in 1872 by a committee headed by Sir Frederic John Goldsmid, which was eventually accepted by both parties, but it was not implemented at the time. The Goldsmid boundary later proved inadequate, and a more precise boundary was drawn up in three sections over the following decades.

There have been border clashes between Afghanistan and Iran

Afghanistan does not border Iraq. However, there have been border clashes between Afghanistan and its neighbour Iran.

On 27 May 2023, deadly clashes broke out between the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Iranian border guards. The violence erupted between the Afghan Nimroz Province and the Iranian Sistan and Baluchestan Province. At least two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter were killed, with several others injured on both sides.

The reasons for the clashes are still unknown, but tensions have been rising between the two countries over water rights. Iran has accused Afghanistan's Taliban rulers of violating a 1973 water-sharing treaty by restricting the flow of the Helmand River, which flows from Afghanistan to Iran's arid eastern border regions. The Taliban has denied the accusation and called for the problem to be solved through diplomatic channels.

Following the border clashes, both sides issued statements aimed at de-escalating the situation. Local Iranian and Afghan officials have held negotiations on the cause of the clashes and agreed to continue their talks. The Taliban leadership has affirmed that it does not want relations with neighbouring countries to deteriorate and that it is committed to resolving issues through diplomatic channels.

The Afghanistan-Iran border traverses an arid, inhospitable region

The Afghanistan-Iran border is 921km (572mi) long and traverses a generally arid, inhospitable region with few inhabitants. The border begins at the tripoint with Turkmenistan in the Harirud River and ends at the tripoint with Pakistan in the Kuh-i-Malik Salih mountain. The border follows a series of short straight lines, passing through the salt lakes of Daryache-ye Namakzar and Daqq-e Patergan. Two 'beaks' of Iranian territory protrude into Afghanistan along this section.

The border between the two countries was formalised between 1872 and 1935, stemming from the Treaty of Paris in 1857, in which Persia and Afghanistan agreed to refer any disputes to Britain for arbitration. A rough delimitation was proposed in 1872 by a committee headed by Sir Frederic John Goldsmid, following a line from Banda to Kuh-i-Malik Siah via the Helmand River. However, the Goldsmid boundary proved inadequate, and a more precise boundary was drawn up in three sections over the following decades.

The Afghanistan-Iran border traverses a sparsely populated region, with the exception of the Zabol-Zaranj area, where the main border crossing is located. Settlements near the border include Kalate-ye Nazar Khan, Tahana-e Chah-e Sangar, Jannatabad, Torbat-e Jam, and Kamane-ye Mohammad Khan.

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