Afghan developments in relation to Iranian influence
Over the past few years, Iran has actively increased its influence in Afghanistan. By taking advantage of Kabul's need for investment and infrastructure development, Iranian businesses continue to support Afghanistan's economic development. Additionally, Iranian culture and religion are strongly felt in western Afghanistan, where Iranians have traditionally held sway. Recently, there has also been a greater appearance of political alignment between Iran and Afghanistan, particularly in the days following the contentious Iranian elections of June 2009, when Afghan President Hamid Karzai unambiguously backed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Tehran publicly advocates for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in an effort to erode Kabul's relations with the US and sever Kabul and Washington's shared commitment to stabilising Afghanistan. Its leaders have taken advantage of sporadic rifts in ties between Afghanistan and the United States to undercut American policy in the co...