India, Iran and Pakistan: Seeking Influence in Afghanistan

Both Iran and India are slowly working toward deepening their respective influence in Afghanistan via nonmilitary means. These moves come as Pakistani efforts to establish a geopolitical foothold in Afghanistan are foundering due to Islamabad's problems with Talibanization in Pakistan. Over time, this trend could lead to Iran and India playing greater roles in Afghanistan, leaving Pakistan with a much bigger challenge as it tries to secure its interests in its crucial buffer state, Afghanistan.