Islam Times - Iran’s Border Wall New Chapter in Regional Security Strategy

Islam Times - Iran's underway construction of a 300-km concrete wall on its border with Afghanistan and possibly its expansion to the border with Pakistan will considerably transform the region's geopolitical face.

The project which some estimates put its cost at $3 billion is a three-year phased plan aimed at boosting border control and containing terrorism, smuggling, and illegal migration to Iran. The project comes in response to the security and geopolitical challenges and threats stemming from the ongoing instability on the country's eastern borders, especially Afghanistan.

The latest reports on the progress of the project indicate the high speed of the construction of the wall. In early October, Brigadier General Nozer Nemati, the deputy commander of the army stated that more than 10 kilometers of wall have been built on the border with Afghanistan and 50 kilometers are also ready to be walled. Nearly 20 construction sites along the border are carrying out infrastructural measures and wall installation.

The border wall is more than a physical barrier, and this project, equipped with modern surveillance systems, is considered a sign of a shift in Iran's security strategy, which is an important step towards improving regional security and Tehran's commitment to protect its territorial sovereignty against regional instability.

Defense experts see the project as a key deterrent against cross-border threats, reinforcing Iran's broader strategy to secure its eastern borders and ensure long-term stability.

Since Taliban's takeover of power in Kabul in August 2021, the Central Asian country has increasingly grown insecure and instable, and despite the new Afghan rulers' commitment to effectively counter terrorist groups and taking into consideration the security concerns of neighbors, UN reports talk about growing activities of terrorist groups and drugs cartels in Afghanistan. On July 12, UN Security Council announced that Afghanistan has become a safe haven for such terror groups as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. According to the report, the way of Kaul's dealing with these militant groups will lead to spillover of terrorism to neighboring countries.

In fact, historically, neighboring countries have not felt the need to build a wall along their borders with Afghanistan. However, the increase in threats from extremist groups inside Afghanistan has forced these countries to adopt defensive strategies.

The scandalous US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 created a power vacuum that worsened regional security and allowed groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, and ISIS-Khorasan to take advantage of the instability. During this period, these groups and some other terrorist groups with ethnic and separatist tendencies have carried out numerous attacks against Pakistan, Iran and the countries of Central Asia, and despite effective security and intelligence confrontation of these terror activities, they have taken considerable human toll on the regional countries. We can point to the terror attack last year on people gathered to mark anniversary of General Qassam Soleimani in Kerman southeast of Iran.

By reinforcing its borders, Iran sends a strong message about the need for stability and security in the region and potentially creates a safer environment for future diplomatic relations.

At the same time, Iran is increasingly facing challenges of human trafficking and the influx of Afghan refugees, which, in addition to economic, cultural and social problems, also produce security challenges.

In short, Iran's plan to construct a border wall with Afghanistan reflects a comprehensive strategy for security, illegal migration, regional stability, and historical border issues. This initiative is meant to boost border security amid unfolding worries about cross-border threats and illegal activities with emphasis on Iran's commitment to its sovereignty. It also highlights an intricate dynamism in which internal issues meet geopolitical interests and humanitarian crises. At the end, it should not be forgotten that effectiveness in boosting security and stability of the border wall largely depends on cooperation and dialogue with the Taliban government.