Prerequisites for Increasing Contradictions between Iran and Afghanistan over the Use of Transboundary Water Resources of the Helmand River

Since the second half of the 20th century, issues related to the provision of water resources have become of paramount importance for the countries of the Greater Middle East. First of all, this is due to the fact that against the backdrop of a continuous increase in demand for a vital resource, there is almost no publicly available alternative. The water crisis in Iran has become a national problem over the past 10 years. Against this background, the country’s leadership is forced to defend its rights to the joint use of transboundary water resources in a more stringent manner. At the same time, while with some neighboring states problems of joint water use began to appear relatively recently, with Afghanistan water disputes over the re-sources of the Helmand River already have a history of more than a century and a half. During this time, the countries have managed to accumulate many contradictions, which still do not allow them to find a way out of the current situation that suits each of the parties. The author concludes that the current situation with the distribution of water resources of the transboundary Helmand River does not suit either side. While Iran, located in the lower reaches of the river, is in a clearly losing position, Afghanistan can use its advantageous geographical position to advance its own interests. The situation around the dispute between Iran and Afghanistan over water resources is extremely unstable and has the potential for a sharp aggravation. The problem, fueled by historical contradictions and other factors discussed in the article, is acquiring critical status for both countries, and its further ignoring might lead to an aggravation of the conflict.