Iran was recently caught supplying weapons to the Taliban, according to nato officials. Chinese weapons have also been found in the hands of the Afghan terrorist group.

On April 11 and again on May 3, convoys carrying arms to Afghanistan were seized by nato forces. According to an analysis performed by a senior official within the coalition and obtained by ABC News, there were clear indications that the weapons originated in Iran.

Together, the conveys carried more than 1,650 pounds of C4 demolition charges, rpg-7mm rockets, mortar rounds and small arms, as well as components to create roadside bombs, identical to those given to Iraqi insurgents by Iran. The demolition charges also contained identical fake U.S. markings to those seized from anti-U.S. forces in the Baghdad area, clearly pointing to Iranian involvement.

“This is part of a considered policy … rather than the result of low-level corruption and weapons smuggling,” stated the analysis.

Though the Taliban has been a traditional enemy of Iran, it’s clear that a mutual hatred for the United States is motivating the two parties to work together. “I think their goal is to make it very clear that Iran has the capability to make life worse for the United States on a variety of fronts,” said Seth Jones of the Rand Institute, “even if they have to do some business with a group that has historically been their enemy.”

It is not surprising that Iran is trying to sabotage U.S. goals in Afghanistan by supplying the Taliban with weapons, but another recent find in Afghanistan is a little more surprising. A set of photographs provided to the Washington Times this week shows Taliban fighters showing off new supplies of Chinese-manufactured hn-5 shoulder-fired missiles.

The anti-aircraft missiles have an appearance similar to the Russian Strela-2 missiles and have been in use by China’s People’s Liberation Army since the early 1990s.

While the weapons are limited in range, they are particularly effective in targeting low-level aircraft and helicopters, and might explain the deaths of seven U.S. soldiers killed when their Chinook helicopter went down last week in southern Afghanistan. Though the Taliban has said it was responsible for shooting down the chopper, nato continues to investigate the situation. The Taliban’s claims are perhaps more credible now that they are known to have sophisticated Chinese weaponry capable of bringing about such a lethal attack.

Emboldened by the newly acquired stash of Chinese weapons and large-scale support from Iran, the Taliban is anything but weakened after nearly six years of war. As it continues to receive military aid from foreign nations, watch for U.S. influence in Afghanistan to be handicapped. This is one of several factors that could hasten a U.S. withdrawal from the region.