‍Central Asia and The Caucasus Journal

Abstract The re-emergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan and their seizure of power in 2021 has once again revived legal and political debates surrounding the recognition of governments in international law. While most states and international organizations have refrained from officially recognizing the Taliban, the Russian Federation, by adopting a pragmatic approach, has pursued a path of gradual engagement and even some forms of informal recognition. This article, using comparative and legal analysis methods, examines whether Russia’s recognition of the Taliban aligns with or contradicts the principles and practices of international law. Within this framework, key concepts such as the distinction between “de facto” and “de jure” recognition, non-standard governments, and the transformations of the post-Western international order are explored. The article then analyzes the regional implications of this trend for the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These include Iran's use of the Taliban's ambiguous legal status to maintain security and diplomatic advantages, secure a rear front amid tensions with the West and Israel, and preserve its value as a bargaining chip for Russia in its negotiations with the West over Ukraine. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the need to reconsider legal frameworks of recognition in light of emerging geopolitical developments.

Abstract After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of new independent states, one of the areas that has gradually been at the heart of Zionist Regim's attention is the set of countries in the Central Asian region; because, for Zionist Regim, these countries have special capacities and attractions to its political and security goals and objectives. As a result, Zionist Regim has prioritized its foreign relations, the optimization and development of relations with Central Asian countries, because Zionist Regim's dependence on energy is still ongoing, and these areas can meet the needs of Zionist Regim's fossil fuels and will largely overcome it. On the other hand, in recent years, the developments in the Middle East region, such as the Arab Spring, the importance of political Islam, the spread of jihadi armed movements, and the emergence of Iran as a nuclear power, have led Zionist Regim to increasingly feel threatened and to expand relations with Central Asian Countries to fulfill its goals, including countering the security environment of Iran. Given this important point, this article seeks to find an answer to the question of what goals Zionist Regim is seeking to expand its presence and influence in Central Asia. In line with the search for a logical answer to the question, this hypothesis has been analyzed, "the expansion of the presence and influence of the Zionist Regime in Central Asia, is in the direction of unity and convergence with the countries of this region, to break the siege of the opposing states of Zionist Regim put into creating divergence and putting pressure on Iran's peripheral environment and its national security. The methodological bases in this article are the theories of coalition and divergence, and the research method is also qualitative of causal type.