How amusing that two fanatical Muslim regimes, in Iran and Afghanistan, are now at one another’s throats. Though Iran is Shi’a and Afghanistan Sunni, this not a sectarian conflict, although the Sunni/Shi’a certainly helps to stoke the antagonism. It is, rather, a conflict over water, specifically over how much water Iran and Afghanistan should be allowed to take from the Helmand River that runs along their common border. The dispute is getting more intense, and now a Taliban leader has publicly threatened that his group stands ready to “conquer” Iran to enforce its own claims to water from the Helmand River. Robert Spencer wrote briefly about the conflict here, and Daniel Greenfield weighed in here. More on this most welcome conflict can be found here: “Taliban claims: ‘We will conquer Iran soon’ amid water dispute,” by Ariella Marsden, Jerusalem Post, May 29, 2023:
The Taliban threatened on Sunday that it could conquer Iran as tensions increase over water disputes between Afghanistan and Iran, leaving at least three people dead.
In a video released by the Taliban, a senior commander in the terrorist organization running Afghanistan warned that the Taliban would fight the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard “with more passion” than they fought the US forces. He added that the Taliban “will conquer Iran soon if the Taliban’s leaders give the green light.
Don’t dismiss the Taliban threat. When the Americans abandoned Afghanistan, in a rush, they left behind seven billion dollars worth of military equipment — armored vehicles, aircraft, anti-tank missiles, and more — that the Taliban has incorporated into its own forces. The far eastern border of Iran with Afghanistan is long, porous, and lightly guarded. Most Iranian forces are in the western part of the country, where three of the four restive minorities – Azeris, Kurds, and Arabs – live (only the Baluchis are in eastern Iran, on its border with Pakistan). Another reason for Iran’s military forces to be stationed in the country’s west is to guard against potential military strikes by Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities. So it is entirely possible that the battle-hardened Taliban could grab part of eastern Iran and hold on to it. The Taliban now has 200,000 troops under arms. It may also be able to incorporate into its ranks several hundred thousand troops formerly belonging to the Afghan army, through the simple expedient of offering them salaries. In other words, the Taliban can field a formidable force against Iran, should it choose to do so.
As well as the Taliban commander’s video, another video released by the terrorist organization taunting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi went viral on social media. In the video a Taliban member fills a single yellow jerrycan with water, sarcastically telling Raisi “Mr. Raisi, take this water barrel and don’t attack, we’re terrified.”
Iranian media has not explained what the clashes are about, claiming only in one report that they were to do with drug trafficking. Iran also claims that the Taliban shot at IRGC officers on the border first. The Taliban, however, claim the opposite.
Iran doesn’t want to alarm its people, so it chooses to blame the latest border clashes on the usual suspects – drug traffickers – rather than on an impending water war with the Taliban.
Other media sources including the Associated Press (AP) and Iran International report that the clashes happened over a water dispute, a report that would explain the Taliban’s video.
Earlier in May, Raisi warned the Taliban not to violate Iran’s rights to the Helmand River which is shared between the two countries.
Iran has been suffering from a multi-year drought, one of the worst in the country’s history. The Islamic Republic is desperate for water. It is maddening to Tehran that the Taliban is not respecting the 1973 treaty which committed Afghanistan to providing a certain amount of water from the Helmand River. For now, the Taliban are only providing four percent of the water that, according to that 1973 treaty, it was obligated to provide Iran.
“I warn the rulers of Afghanistan to immediately give the [Iranian] people their water rights,” he [President Raisi] said. “Take my words seriously now or don’t complain later.”
Tensions surrounding the river have risen steadily over the last two years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces.
A treaty was signed between the two countries in 1973 involving an agreement that Afghanistan had to give Iran a certain amount of water from the river which flows from Afghanistan.
Reports claim, however, that Afghanistan has been violating the treaty with The National reporting that Iran has only been receiving four percent of the water owed. The lack of water is particularly significant to Iran as it faces a long drought – an issue that Afghanistan faces too.
How wonderful it would be for the civilized world if the Taliban and Iran were to come to blows over access to the water from the Helmand River. The Taliban threatens to “conquer Iran,” and while that claim is mere bravado, it might be able to keep large numbers of Iranian troops tied down in eastern Iran. The Taliban not only has more advanced weapons than Iran – the seven billion dollars worth left by the Americans – but its troops are battle-hardened, having been fighting since 2001. The Iranian army, in contradistinction, hasn’t been involved in major fighting since the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, some 35 years ago. Even if the Taliban’s fanatical fighters only conquer Iran’s easter borderlands to a depth of 50-100 miles, that would be enough to deal a grave blow to Iran’s image, one that Tehran cannot endure; it will have to fight hard to push the Taliban entirely out. And in response, the Taliban will fight harder, as they have shown they can. They are even more fanatical fighters than the Iranians, and likely would cut off even the small amount of Helmand River water Afghanistan’s new rulers are now supplying to Iran. That would likely trigger an Iranian incursion into Afghanistan, in an attempt to seize the eastern, Afghan, shore of the Helmand River order to force the Taliban to relinquish more water. And a hot war, without a foreseeable end, would begin, tying down Iranian forces all along the eastern border with Afghanistan.
It’s a consummation devoutly to be wished. Who among us would not want a war that begins as a conflict over water, but then metastasizes, between two brands of Muslim fanatics who will slug it out for a long time. The Western world should draw up a chair and set a spell, as it watches with grim satisfaction the two deplorable Islamic regimes battle it out.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I think that the Taliban could, if it wanted, easily overrun Khorasan & capture the historic cities of Ma’ashed and Nishabur. That would be a major embarrassment to Teheran were that to happen, since Ma’ashed is next only to Qum as a sacred site for shi’a, and it would show Iran up as a paper tiger, much like Saudi Arabia
If Iran had to divert troops from suppressing its own citizens to Khorasan and fight the Taliban there, they would be too thinly spread to keep propping up the regime. Only problem: if the regime fell, both Turkey & the Taliban would try to conquer Iran: it wouldn’t become a de-islamized republic. Iran was historically under both the Seljuq and Ghaznavid empires, so both would have a stake in Ghazwa-e-Iran
Transmaster says
I have long thought the best thing the United State could do in this region is recognize the nation of Kurdistan. It would cause Erdogan to have a stroke, I am not sure Syria would care that much above a proforma level, The Kurd;s are already a mostly self governing part of Iraq, and it would cause Iran to do The Great Satan Coochee-Coochee dance. I personally know people who fought alongside the Kurds. I was told a Kurdish warrior always had your back. In fact they had to be held back from revenge attacks. The women Kurdish fighter were so feared by the Daesh that they would blow themselves up rather than being captured by these ladies.
Westman says
How do organizations like CAIR and al-Azhar university view wars between Muslims that only lower the world’s view of Islam? Do they just clam up or do they choose sides?
Will this degenerate into a war of Islamic superiority claims even though it is actually about water? One can almost hear the echos of “a akbar!” in the distance.
The istanbulian says
CAIR never CAIRed
No Jews, no news
Blougeoisie says
Obama left weapons for isis to help destroy the Islamic world and now Obama 2.0 has left weapons to help the taliban destroy the Islamic world.
glad to not live in the ‘house of peace’.
What will tayyip do!?!
Walter Sieruk says
That the Sunni Taliban are now threating to conquer that Shi ‘ite “mullah regime” of Iran should be of no real surprise considering that that Qu ‘ran inspires Muslims to engage in deadly violence,2:191. 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4. Likewise the Shi ‘ite soldier of Iran will be glad to retaliate in bloody violence against the Taliban since they also believe in the same Qu ‘ran..
Still the follower of both branched of Islam believe that the founder of Islam was an actual prophet of God. Likewise both believe that the Qu ‘ran is the Word of God. All this leads to the need to understand the whole essence of Islam.
With Islam in so much in the news and in such great power in some countries, as Saudi Arabia and Iran, it’s a good thing to define what Islam really is .Of the many ways Islam may be described, one of them is that a religion of denial. Meaning that Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God. As in the Son of God Who is God the Father. Furthermore, Islam denies the Jesus is God the Son. In addition, Islam denies that Jesus is God. Before going over these three denials of Islam it first should the stated the Bible instructs the way to tell if a prophet or religious teacher is really from and of God or not is do the teachings and doctrines of that prophet of teacher really fit in accord what is found in the Bible ? For if that prophet or teachers and teachers doctrines that are in contradiction to the Bible then that prophet is a false prophet and that religious teacher is a false teacher and thus in doctrinal error and darkness. Likewise if a religion had teachings and doctrines that are in contradiction that is religion is in error also part of the world of darkness and is therefore a false religion. As the Bible instructs in Isaiah 8:20. “To the law of the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” [K.J.V.] With this clearly stated, three things should be known.
First, that Islam denial that Jesus is the Son of God is in great contradiction to the teaching of the Bible . Which reveals the Jesus is the Son of God? As seen in ,for example Matthew 3:16,17. 16:15,16. Luke 1:35. John 3:16-18, 36. First John 2:22,23. 4:14,15. 5:12,13. Second, that Islam denies that Jesus is God the Son is in strong contradiction to the Bible. As found in Hebrews 1:6-8. With emphasis on verse 8. Third, Islam’s denial that Jesus is God is in great contrast to the doctrine and teaching of the Bible. That Jesus is God may be found in ,for example, John 1:1;3. Colossians 1:15-17. 2:9. Romans 9:5 Second Peter 1:1. Titus 2:13. First John 5:20.
Moreover, to further discover that the Bible teachings that Jesus is God all a person has to do is to compare the Old Testament with New Testament to see that Jesus is God. As in comparing Isaiah 45:22,23. with Philippians 2:5-11. Also by comparing Psalm 89:8,9. with Mathew 8:23-27. will reveal that Jesus is God. Likewise, by comparing Psalm 62:5-7 . with First Corinthians 10:4. shows the Deity of Jesus. Even by comparing the News Testament books together will show that Jesus is God. As in comparing Romans 14:12. with John 5:22. will show Jesus to be God. The list can go on but this should be enough, for all who are willing to see the truth, that Jesus is, indeed, the Son of God. That Jesus is God the Son and that Jesus is God.
The imams and mullahs as well as the other apologists for Islam will try to “explain’ this all away by making the claim that the Bible had been corrupted by Christians ,through time, and that’s way the Bible reads as it does.
This claim, very much, underestimate the Power of God to protect and preserve His Word ,through time , and to keep in intact and away from the corruption of men. In conclusion, in light and information of the Bible in can be seen that Islam is a awful and terrible doctrinal error concerning it teaching about the Nature of Jesus and therefore Islam is part of the world of darkness. So Islam with its strong contradictions to the Bible is a false religion, Proverbs 14:12.
So all dear Muslims are thus invited to leave the false religion of Islam and come the and receive the Jesus of the Bible who is the only way to heaven, John 14:6. and the True Light of the world. John 8:12.
Walter Sieruk says
The entire foundation of both the Taliban and the Islamic “Republic “of Iran are based on the “holy book” of Islam the Quran , as in 47;4. Nevertheless, The Sunni Muslims of the Taliban and the Shi-ite Muslims of Iran both hate each other with a violent and deadly passion. both Some call this religious book, the Quran. All this leads to a very important question: “Is the Quran the Word of God or is it a fabrication of a man. Thus, is the Quran the truth or a fiction and a hoax ?”
The jihadists use many verses from the Quran as the main source of justification for their violence, mayhem and murders. As found in For example, 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. The answer is clearly given on pages 145 through 157 in THE ISLAMIC INVASION by Robert Morey in which he wrote a section on the Quran with its self-contradictions. Just two of the many he cited are the following “The Quran differs on whether a day is a thousand years or fifty thousand years in God’s sight’ and “Who was first to believe? Abraham or Moses [Sura 6:14 versus 7:143]? The above is inconsistent and illogical.
Further, Morey wrote about “The fact that Judaism and Christianity broke up into different sects was used in the Quran to prove that they are not of God [Suras 30:20-32. 42:13, 14]. Yet Islam has broken up into many warring sects and therefore cannot be true if the Quran is right.” Moreover, Morey in his book shows many more contradictions and absurdities in the Quran, there are and how Muhammad incorporated extra Biblical and Jewish folklore along with pre-Islamic Arabian myth and parts of Zoroastrian and Hindu stories into the Quran.
Furthermore, the Muslims claim that “the Quran is the direct, literal word of God unmodified in any way by the Prophet who uttered them at the bidding of God.”
In addition in the book UNVEILING ISLAM by Ergun Mehmet and Eethi Caner has shown that the Quran was modified in the following account on pages 45. “Muhammad felt the need to improve on the words of Allah, since he changed Allah’s wisdom for his own on several occasions. A hadith tells of the nonchalant emendations of Muhammad:’ On a number of occasions he [a scribe] had, with the Prophet’s consent changed the closing words of verses. For example, when the prophet had said ‘God is mighty and wise ‘ Adbollah b. Abi Sarh suggested writing down ‘Knowing and wise’ and the Prophet answered that there was no objection. Having observed a succession of changes of this type, Adbollah renounced Islam on the grounds that revelations, if from God could not be changed at the prompting of a scribe such as himself. After his apostasy he went to Mecca and joined the Qorayshites.’
Other writers reveal that later Muhammad and his people did go war with the Qorayshites and he personally killed Abdollah. Obviously Abdollah knew too much and Muhammad wanted Abdollah’s knowledge to die with him.”
In conclusion, the Quran is not only a fiction, it’s also a hoax and therefore both the Taliban and that Islamic regime rests on a “house of cards.” That is total and complete falsehood.
Walter Sieruk says
For a more full understanding of the actual nature of the Qu ‘ran and the Muslim violence in inspires.. As found in ,for example 2:191. 4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4. So to understand that “holy book” of Islam. a person need to look back in time before the coming of Muhammad and then the Qu ran . Back to the First Century AD which was the time of early Christian church. For the Early Christian Church had and now in modern times the Christian church still has the Gospel of Christ, First Corinthians 15:1-4.
Much later, in time, came Muhammad and he gave much information, that many believe to be divine, some of which is said to have been obtained from an angle from heaven. This information was written down on different objects and things Those written words in different objects was then compiled together and then eventually went into the composition of what is now called the Qu’ ran .
The Qu .ran is actually, that is in reality, another gospel, apart and greatly different from the Gospel of the Christian Church. Such a thing was predicted in the Bible. For the Bible does warn about those who will come and offer to people another gospel other than the one shown above, First Corinthians 15:1-4. For it is warned about any other “gospel” in the Bible. For it is written in the Bible “Bu though we or an angle from heaven preach any other gospel to unto than that which we have preached onto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I say now again, if anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8, 9. [.K.J.V.]
Therefore, the Qu ‘ran is the result of the deception of a false prophet, Mathew 7:15., who may have come in contact with a fallen angle, a demon, So the imams and mullahs who preach it a truth to other are accused of and by God.
Gurek says
Taliban is not a student organisation having a picnic in the woods. Like all terrorists they need to be eliminated. Terrorists islamists and jihadists are growing their influences all around the world and the West is still not on alarm.
Pray Hard says
Moslems constantly screech about conquering the entire Earth. Why? Islam.
Burnaby Lad says
“when the Americans abandoned Afghanistan, they left behind seven billion dollars worth of military equipment”
and about 40,000 Shi’a soldiers of the Afghan Army trained to tier one operator level, who might be available for work.
Don McKellar says
It is hard to wade through massive telephone book posts put on here by a a certain commentor whom I would block, but I digress…
The Taliban will never be able to take Iran, but they certainly could be the final deathblow to the mad mullahs and stretch them too far so that the government collapses. So cheers to the Taliban for doing the first thing good in their entire existence. Maybe.
John Galt III says
99% of the length of the river is in Afghanistan. There are dams and irrigation canals – all in Afghanistan. By the time the river hits Iran the Afghani’s can take almost all the water so why is Afghanistan starting a war with Iran. It should be the other way around.
Looks just like the Colorado River and Mexico gets nothing.