Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who are proud of their tradition of international adventurism, have also hinted that they are not confining their interests to within Iran’s frontiers. Iranian media quoted the Guards’ commander, Hossein Salami, as saying that “the scope of our observations has gone beyond the borders and we are monitoring and controlling all the developments in the neighboring country.”

[...]

In 1996, when the Taliban first took over the country, Pakistan was quick to recognize the government, but this time, Afzal said, it’s more concerned with how such a step might be perceived internationally, especially if Western countries don’t recognize the government.

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