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HomePress RoomExternal CommentaryChristopher Mott in The National Interest: Iran-Taliban Clashes Prove America’s Rivals Are Foes, Not Friends

Christopher Mott in The National Interest: Iran-Taliban Clashes Prove America’s Rivals Are Foes, Not Friends

Image credit: Aslan Media

By Christopher Mott

Research Fellow Christopher Mott contributed an article to The National Interest examining tensions between Tehran and the Taliban in the aftermath of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The less ensconced the United States is in countries far from its core interests, the more likely it is to see its rivals turn on each other and generate a regional balance of power that prevents another outside actor from achieving a dominant position there.

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Dr. Christopher Mott (@chrisdmott) is a Research Fellow at IPD and a former researcher and desk officer at the U.S. Department of State.

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Panel 4: Pathways to Manage Non-Proliferation in the Middle East (4:30 PM - 5:45 PM ET)

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– Mark Fitzpatrick: Associate Fellow & Former Executive Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

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What is the current economic landscape in the Middle East? While global foreign direct investment is expected to fall drastically in the post-COVID era, the World Bank reported a 5% contraction in the economic output of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in 2020 due to the pandemic. While oil prices are expected to rebound with normalization in demand, political instability, regional and geopolitical tensions, domestic corruption, and a volatile regulatory and legal environment all threaten economic recovery in the Middle East. What is the prospect for economic growth and development in the region post-pandemic, and how could MENA nations promote sustainable growth and regional trade moving forward?

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Luciano Zaccara: Assistant Professor, Qatar University

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Barbara Slavin: Director of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council

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Erica Di Ruggiero: Director of Centre for Global Health, University of Toronto

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