Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Meets Taliban-Appointed Governor in Herat
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, arrived in Herat on an official visit to Afghanistan and met with Mawlawi Noor Ahmad Islamjar, the Taliban-appointed governor of Herat.
During the meeting, Gharibabadi emphasized the cultural and religious ties between the two countries and called for strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and trade sectors. He described the recent talks held in Kabul as constructive and stressed the need to leverage provincial capacities to enhance relations between the two sides.
Governor Islamjar advocated for the extension of the Khaf-Herat railway project to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and urged Iran to collaborate with the Taliban administration to implement the project. He also proposed the activation of joint transnational farming initiatives, whereby high-water-consumption crops could be cultivated in Afghanistan’s water-rich regions and delivered at the border.
The Herat governor expressed interest in industrial-scale livestock production and noted that with joint project development, Afghanistan could help meet part of Iran’s meat demand. However, over the past two years, the Taliban government’s increasing pressure on the private sector and the lack of international recognition have strained the country’s economic capacity.
At the conclusion of his visit, the Iranian deputy minister departed Herat to conduct border inspections and assess existing problems. It remains unclear to what extent his local-level meetings will impact operational progress on various projects. Nevertheless, the lack of transparency in the Taliban’s resource management continues to be a major concern for international partners.
