Dr. Seyed Mehdi Hosseini Taqiabad, a faculty member of the Department of Regional Studies at the University of Tehran, in an interview with Iraf, discussed the history of the establishment of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, describing it as the peak of “Operation Cyclone” during the Soviet war and later a surveillance hub for Afghanistan after 2001.
According to him, the closure of this consulate is not only the end of a logistical base but also a failure of the “remote surveillance strategy” and a deadlock in U.S. policy toward Afghanistan after 2022.
The Strategic Importance of Peshawar: From Past to Present
Dr. Hosseini explained the long-standing logistical and strategic role of Peshawar, noting that in 1849 the city was captured by British India. From the beginning, it played a major role in British regional strategy, especially during the “Great Game” for control over Central Asia.
After its capture, Peshawar became a military garrison and, following the Second Anglo-Afghan War, served as a key logistics and administrative center for the British. The Khyber Pass played a crucial role in turning the city into a trade and transit hub between Afghanistan and India, as well as a traditional intelligence center for British operations in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
He added that the Torkham border now plays a similar role. After Pakistan’s independence and during the Cold War, Peshawar retained its importance, but Afghanistan temporarily lost its centrality. The 1960 U-2 incident over Soviet territory exposed intelligence activities in the region. After that, operations declined until the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, when Peshawar regained its strategic role.
Operation Cyclone and the Establishment of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar
The Tehran University professor said Operation Cyclone — one of the CIA’s largest covert operations — required the arming and support of Afghan mujahideen, marking the first deep U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
However, Pakistan acted as a barrier between Afghanistan and the United States, limiting direct American access. This made the U.S. consulate in Peshawar the closest operational point for U.S. intelligence activity in Afghanistan.
At that time, the city’s population reportedly doubled from two million to four million due to refugee inflows.
Direct U.S. Presence in Afghanistan
According to the researcher, the post-9/11 “war on terror” further increased Peshawar’s importance and changed the nature of U.S. operations on the ground in Afghanistan.
He said that over time, the city’s logistical value remained undeniable. After the weakening of the Taliban, two councils were formed, one of which was the “Peshawar Shura,” composed of Taliban factions active in northern and eastern Afghanistan.
He also referred to alleged efforts by Pakistan’s military intelligence agency to support Al-Qaeda and the Taliban during that period, with activities facilitated through Peshawar.
After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Washington shifted toward a “over-the-horizon” surveillance strategy. Since 2022, uncertainty has grown over whether this model is effective, suggesting a need for on-the-ground intelligence collection points.
However, ongoing border conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan, refugee expulsions, and the closure of the Torkham crossing have reduced Peshawar’s traditional role.
Closure of the Consulate and the Perceived Failure of U.S. Strategy
Dr. Hosseini stated that the closure of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar reflects the failure of the remote surveillance strategy and raises questions about Washington’s current Afghanistan policy.
He suggested that the U.S. may be narrowing its operational scope in Afghanistan and delegating certain intelligence functions to Pakistani institutions. At the same time, the closure signals policy confusion and instability, especially as U.S. political figures simultaneously discuss reclaiming Bagram Air Base — reflecting, in his view, a lack of coherent strategy toward Afghanistan.
