Taliban Delegation Attends UN Narcotics Conference in Iran

A Taliban delegation, led by Mawlawi Hasibullah Ahmadi, head of the Counter-Narcotics Deputy Office at the Ministry of Interior, has traveled to Iran to attend a conference organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Tehran.

According to the Taliban’s Counter-Narcotics Deputy Office, the purpose of the meeting is to explore opportunities for regional cooperation, particularly between Afghanistan and Iran, in combating drug trafficking and addressing addiction-related issues.

The participation of Taliban representatives in such forums comes amid ongoing international criticism over the lack of transparency, ineffective counter-narcotics commitments, and the alleged involvement of powerful figures within Afghanistan in drug trafficking networks.

Since the collapse of the former Afghan republic and the Taliban’s return to power, drug production, trafficking, and addiction rates across the country—especially in rural areas—have significantly increased. However, international efforts to address these issues have reportedly not been taken seriously or implemented by the Taliban government.