Taliban Rule and Regional Realignments Four Years On

The Taliban’s August 2021 return to power in Afghanistan dramatically altered regional geopolitics and security dynamics across South Asia. Four years later, the country’s economic recovery is precarious, restrictions on women and girls remain, and security concerns persist due to the presence of regional and global terrorist groups. While the Taliban regime’s inability to restrain some of these groups and unwillingness to act against others has exacerbated tensions across the region and beyond, opportunities for engagement have also emerged from Afghanistan’s relative stability. This conversation, based on a South Asian Voices series, will explore Afghanistan’s regional ties under Taliban rule, how the group’s evolving priorities are reshaping diplomatic calculations in its neighborhood, and the state of relations with key global powers.