Iran Renews Demand for Water Rights from Taliban over Harirud River

Amid ongoing tensions over shared water resources between Iran and the Taliban, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated its demand for rightful access to water from the Harirud River. Vahid Jalalzadeh, the ministry’s Deputy for Consular Affairs, emphasized that the border river—crucial to Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province—remains a point of dispute with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration.

Jalalzadeh stated that water diplomacy is a key responsibility of Iranian governmental institutions, including the Foreign Ministry, under the country’s national development plan. He added that the ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Energy and Iranian parliament members to safeguard the country’s water rights against the Taliban. In line with these efforts, Iran’s Foreign Minister has recently traveled to Afghanistan to engage in direct negotiations.

The deputy described these actions as part of Iran’s effort to assert its “legal rights” to water access from Afghanistan. He also announced that a regional water diplomacy summit will be held in Mashhad, with participation from the governors of Iran’s three eastern provinces, several Iranian ambassadors stationed in neighboring countries, and water resource experts. The summit is scheduled for late Mehr and early Aban (October–November) next year.

According to the border security authorities in Khorasan Razavi, the province shares over 800 kilometers of border with Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, much of which follows natural river boundaries. The Harirud River, one such boundary, has become a focal point of renewed tensions between Tehran and the Taliban. With the Taliban continuing to withhold water access, concerns are mounting in Iran’s border districts.