Iran to Host Regional Summit on Afghanistan in December

Iranian officials have announced plans to hold a regional summit on developments in Afghanistan this December. The meeting, set to take place in Tehran, will include participation from Afghanistan’s neighboring countries as well as Russia.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said on Monday that the main purpose of the summit is to assess the current situation in Afghanistan, enhance regional cooperation, and establish a joint contact group aimed at maintaining stability and supporting the Afghan people.

He added that the contact group would comprise Afghanistan’s neighbors along with countries such as Russia and China. The agenda will include discussions on aid delivery strategies, strengthening regional security, and mediating between conflicting parties.

Amid growing tensions between the Taliban administration and Pakistan, Tehran has launched mediation efforts. According to Khatibzadeh, steps have been taken in recent days to ease the crisis between Kabul and Islamabad.

Tensions escalated following Pakistani airstrikes on October 9 in an area of Afghanistan, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of three Pakistani Taliban commanders. In response, the Taliban administration announced retaliatory operations, leading to border clashes between the two nations. The hostilities continued until October 15, when both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire and launched border peace talks.