Tehran announced that it was in contact with the various Afghan parties and following up on the latest developments, calling for negotiations to form a “comprehensive, transparent and responsible” government with the participation of all components.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said during a press conference that the government should reflect “the demographic and ethnic composition” of the country.
“In this way, as brothers, we have tried to reduce the differences and we will continue our efforts to reach a safe Afghanistan,” he added.
The Iranian diplomat continued: “Afghanistan’s history shows that there is no military solution to the issue and Iran is ready to cooperate and facilitate talks in this regard.”
He noted that while Iran “wants all parties to maintain stability, it is also hoping that the groups would make utmost use of the opportunity resulting from the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country to create an inclusive government and establish good relations with neighbors.”
Iran shares a border of more than 900 km with Afghanistan and had turbulent relations with the Taliban when it established the Emirate of Afghanistan.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Iran hosts more than 3.46 million Afghans on its soil, or more than 4 percent of the country’s population.
The position on the Taliban sparked divisions in Iran. Conservative media, especially institutions affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, were slammed for “polishing the image of” the group. Some moderate and reformist media outlets, on the other hand, are criticizing showing flexibility with the Taliban and warned of the group’s threat to Iran’s long-term security.
In a related development, the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exporters Association said on Monday that Tehran resumed exporting gasoline and gas oil to Afghanistan, reported Reuters.
Iran resumed fuel exports to Afghanistan after a request from the Taliban government, which feels empowered by the US withdrawal to buy the sanctioned nation’s oil more openly, an Iranian official told Reuters.
Reuters said that the price of gasoline in Afghanistan reached $900 per ton as many Afghans were driven out of cities, fearing reprisals and a return to a harsh interpretation of Islamic law the Taliban imposed when in power 20 years ago.
