Analyzing the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan through the Lens of Systems Theory

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD in Regional Studies, researcher and university lecturer.

2 Associate Professor, National Defense University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Systems theory, as one of the prominent approaches in the humanities—especially within political science—allows for the analysis of various events through a distinct perspective. This theory, by emphasizing the interrelation and interaction of a system's components, facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of phenomena as part of an interconnected whole. This study seeks to examine the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan within the framework of systems theory. The U.S. failure in the Afghanistan war (2001–2021) and its inability to achieve its objectives marked a turning point in the growing skepticism over its hegemonic supremacy. Diverging views have been raised regarding the decline of American hegemony, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan without tangible achievements has intensified both hope and concern among American elites. The central research question is: How can the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan be explained and interpreted based on systems theory? Relying on an explanatory approach and utilizing documentary research methods, the study suggests that crises in the U.S. economic, political, and military systems have undermined its superiority in the international arena and negatively affected its hegemonic standing. The failure of Washington's declared policies in Afghanistan, the Taliban's return to power, and the pressures exerted by the proactive conduct of powerful international actors- indicative of shifting realities in the international system- led the United States to reconsider its foundational dominance strategies in the West Asian region in order to prevent further decline. To illustrate and operationalize this, the study also employs theoretical modeling techniques.

Keywords

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References

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American Strategic Studies
Volume 5, Issue 1 - Serial Number 17
Serial number 17 - Spring 2025
June 2025
Pages 89-121

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History

  • Receive Date: 27 December 1403
  • Revise Date: 10 February 1404
  • Accept Date: 19 March 1404
  • Publish Date: 22 August 2025

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