The Taliban deputation headed by the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, convened their Iranian equivalents led by Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian engaged in high-level level dialogues to talk over political, economic, transit, and refugee subjects. It was the foremost such stop by a Taliban delegation since the faction induced the downfall of the country’s Western-supported regime amid the turbulent departure of the United States-led regiments in August.
IRAN’S CONCERNS
Iran is still not taking any step to officially acknowledge the Taliban as the current regime of Afghanistan, its foreign ministry tells, after a discussion with the group in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry representative Saeed Khatibzadeh told on Sunday’s high-level discussions with Taliban envoys were “positive”, but Iran is yettheless “not at the point of officially recognizing Taliban”.
“The current condition of Afghanistan is a major concern for the Islamic Republic of Iran and the visit of the Afghan delegation was within the framework of these concerns,” he amplified in a press meeting on Monday. Since the collapse of Kabul, Iran’s official stance has been that it will only accept the Taliban if they regulate to create an “inclusive” government. Iran and the Taliban have been in touch since, with special Iranian diplomat Hassan Kazemi-Qomi making several expeditions to Afghanistan in recent months. As per the Iranian foreign ministry declaration, Amirabdollahian lambasted “wrong policies” by the United States and its supporters in Afghanistan during the convention, and told that the US must elevate its embargoes based on humanitarian purposes and to stimulate the Afghan people and its debilitating economy.
He also assured that Iran will go on to deliver humanitarian relief to its neighbor, and asserted that “the efforts of the zealous people of Afghanistan showed that no foreign power can occupy Afghanistan and rule over its people”
While Muttaqi cited during Sunday’s convention that the new Afghan government pays utmost attention to its actions to the point that “it is not against any of its neighboring countries”.
The two sides also reportedly conceded that further discussions will be planned between specialized diplomats to talk over the matter of Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River.