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Khamenei’s big mistake in Afghanistan

Furthermore, he was banking on a coalition between Ashraf Ghani's government and the Taliban. This relatively weak and fragile alliance could create an opportunity and pave the way for an increase in Iran's influence in Afghanistan.
With this in mind, Khamenei had ordered then-Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to invite Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to Iran while the Taliban was still considered a terrorist group. It was evident that inviting Mullah Baradar was not within the authority of the Foreign Minister and even President Hassan Rouhani.
In his speech on May 2nd of this year, Khamenei made it clear that "everyone should know that foreign policy is not determined anywhere in the world in the Foreign Ministry. There are high-ranking officials beyond the Foreign Ministry who manifest Iran's foreign policies. "(Which, of course, meant himself) and continued; “the decision-maker is not Foreign Ministry”. The Foreign Ministry is just the executor."
Khamenei had sought to reach an agreement with the Taliban on a future government before the US troops left Afghanistan. But with the hasty departure of the United States, Ashraf Ghani leaving the country, and the Taliban's lightning victory throughout Afghanistan, all of Khamenei's plans were ruined. Especially after the Taliban’s announcement of its government members in which all the ministers are composed of the Pashtuns affiliated with the Taliban and the Haqqani group, which is in serious conflict with the Shiite regime of Iran and it did not include any of Iran’s intended personalities and the Hazara Shiite minority.
This caused a rift and criticism among Iranian regime officials on Iran's foreign policy toward Afghanistan. Because it was clear that although the US forces on Iran's eastern borders were not favorable to the Iranian regime, but the US never intended to use these forces to attack Iran.
In fact, after the experience of Afghanistan and Iraq, the US policy is not based on military intervention in other countries. The US was neither willing nor intended to take such a risk.
It is worth noting that Iran is fundamentally different from Iraq or Afghanistan in terms of its strategic location, the border with Russia, its capabilities, size, and population, for American troops to occupy it.
In an interview with Etemad newspaper on September 1st, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Iran's deputy foreign minister during Khatami's presidency said: “in the recent event the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the region were the main winners of the reckless withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan. The next winners are Pakistan's allies, the Persian Gulf Arabs“ . He added that, “ in my opinion, the main losers of this bitter event inside Afghanistan are the people of Afghanistan and in the region is Iran“.
While naming the foreign culprits, he added that he blames the Iranian government, especially the military for this. They have not done their duty of managing Iran's strategic national security, since they did not manage the situation after the withdrawal of the United States.
These days, as the positions and policies of the Taliban are becoming more and more clear, we are witnessing demonstrations in different cities of Iran condemning the Taliban and Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan. The chant of "Death to Pakistan and the Taliban" is heard in these protests. It is clear that the Iranian authorities most likely organized these demonstrations because, in Iran, any unauthorized demonstrations are quickly suppressed, but these unlicensed demonstrations were not stopped.

On September 8th in a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's six neighboring countries, Iran's new Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian said: "the Islamic Republic of Iran is following the developments in Afghanistan seriously and is pursuing the issue of forming an inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic groups. We hope the Taliban will live up to their promises." He added "Iran is seriously concerned about the growing insecurity and terrorism in Afghanistan."
In a September 7th telephone conversation with Charles Michel, President of the Council of Europe, Ebrahim Raisi, the new president of the regime which was originally supposed to focus on the Vienna nuclear talks also referred to Afghanistan and expressed his concern about the current situation there. "Respect for human rights, the rights of women and children are one of the serious concerns of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan, and we will make every effort to protect the inalienable rights of the Afghan people," he said.
At the same time, everyone knows that the rights of women, religious and ethnic minorities in Iran are easily ignored and most of these abuses against them systematically take place at the behest of the Supreme Leader.
Now the question is, how has Iran become concerned about the rights of Afghan women and children?
Of course, although Iran's so-called Conservatives still support the Taliban government and the establishment of the Islamic State, because of its closeness to the Taliban’s view of Islam, these reactions clearly show a deep rift among Iranian politicians over the situation in Afghanistan. The presence of such a government on Iran's 935-kilometer eastern border is worrying, and they think that Iran has been the main loser in the recent developments in Afghanistan.
Especially at a time when Iran itself is in the worst economic situation and almost 80% of Iranians are living below the poverty line, nearly 4 million Afghanis have sought refuge in Iran, and an increase is quite predictable in the near future.
by: Cyrus Yaqubi
Cyrus Yaqubi is a Research Analyst and Iranian Foreign Affairs Commentator investigating the social issues and economy of the Middle East countries in general and Iran in particular.
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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