Taliban Defense Minister Assures Afghanistan Will Not Threaten Iran from Its Soil
Mawlawi Mohammadyaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s Defense Minister, told Ali Bagheri, Deputy for Foreign Policy and International Security at Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, that Afghanistan’s land, airspace, and borders have not been and will not be used as a source of threat against Iran. According to IRNA news agency, this meeting took place on the sidelines of the 14th International Meeting of Senior Security Officials in Moscow.
Mujahid emphasized that Afghanistan demonstrated this during the recent conflict as well. He also expressed a desire to develop relations between Kabul and Tehran and to expand the exchange of delegations between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Ali Bagheri stated at the meeting that regional countries should decide their own security and destiny. Quoting IRNA, he referred to the United States and the Israeli regime as common enemies of the region and expressed hope that strengthening regional consultations would create the conditions for independent decision-making, free from third-party interference.
The Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council also stressed expanding ideological, political, economic, and infrastructural cooperation between the two countries, considering it essential for ensuring regional security and lasting stability.
This comes despite the Taliban administration having previously pledged multiple times that Afghan territory would not be used against neighboring countries. Nevertheless, certain security incidents along the borders and concerns raised by regional countries have consistently highlighted the need for effective oversight and enforceable guarantees of these commitments.
