Commercial and political relations between Afghanistan and Iran

Afghanistan is a country in the southern part of Central Asia in which is an important transit route between the East and the West, the North and the South. Natural gas, oil and electricity of the Central Asian countries energy resources are transfered to Pakistan, India and international markets via Afghanistan. This is chiefly took places through the Southeastern Indian pipeline. The strategic importance of Afghanistan has led to its struggle with neighboring countries in its history. This study explores Afghanistan and Iran's economic and political structures leading to its commercial and political relations between them. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001 in New York, the US launched a military operation against Afghanistan. After the overthrow of the Taliban regime, the country's development, economic growth, restructuring and reforms in various fields were made under the new management of Afghanistan. Iranian economy is largely based on energy related exports revenues. Energy plays almost 80 percent in Iran's economy. Iran's economy is effected negatively by the US and the EU sanctions in recent years. After 2001, trade relations between Afghanistan and Iran expanded moderately compare to previous years. In 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan, as a result of the transit route of the port of Chabahar, Afghanistan has an opportunity to find an alternative route to the open sea. Iran and Afghanistan relations are under the influence of ethnic, historical, cultural, economic, security and external elements. As an external factors which effects Afghanistan relations can be named as the USA, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Water and border security issues playing negative effects among the relations between both countries. Keywords: Afghanistan, Iran, General Economy, Afghanistan Foreign Trade, Afghanistan Political Relations.