Tehran Format and paradox of regional cooperation on Afghanistan

Pars Today – The “Tehran Format” meeting on Afghanistan, attended by neighboring countries, once again highlighted the challenges of forming a coordinated regional strategy.

The recent gathering of special representatives from Pakistan, China, Russia, and Central Asian countries in Tehran—held without Taliban participation—focused on regional security. The Tehran Format, developed from the Moscow Format, is one of the regional platforms aimed at building consensus on Afghanistan.

According to Pars Today, Pakistan, as a key player, seeks to use this platform to advance its security concerns. An analysis published by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper noted that despite multiple regional meetings such as the Tehran and Moscow Formats, achieving a shared and effective action plan for Afghanistan faces structural obstacles.

Pakistan, viewing itself as the primary beneficiary of a stable Afghanistan, participates in these forums with three strategic objectives: maintaining an active role in all regional interactions, legitimizing its security concerns—particularly regarding terrorist groups such as the TTP and Balouchistan—and exerting strategic pressure on the Taliban government to change its behavior.

However, the analysis points to several major challenges limiting the effectiveness of formats like Tehran:

Countries’ preference for bilateral engagement with the Taliban rather than a collective approach.

Fundamental disagreements among members over the extent of engagement or coercion toward the Taliban.

The advisory and non-binding nature of these forums, which lack enforcement mechanisms to compel the Taliban to meet obligations.

As a result, despite a general consensus on the risks of instability in Afghanistan, neighboring countries have been unable to reach a practical consensus for a unified strategy. Nevertheless, Pakistan is determined to leverage its relationship with Iran and efforts to systematize such meetings to transform the Tehran Format into a platform for achieving tangible outcomes. The key to future success lies in linking efforts across different regional platforms and pursuing a long-term but sustainable process to build consensus.