The Demands of the Taliban and the Concerns of Iran; Drug Cultivation in Afghanistan will Continue to be Unstable

Bayan News – Recently, the Taliban authorities and the Islamic Republic of Iran have made statements regarding the situation in Afghanistan; including Zabihullah Mujahid requesting from Tehran to prioritize the recognition of the Taliban.

The spokesman of the Taliban’s caretaker government, in an interview with the Iranian news agency “Tabnak”, added that the Taliban and Iran have had good cooperation in the economic sphere, and assurance has been given; but the Taliban’s expectation from Iran is greater than this.

Mujahid said: “We have achieved good cooperation with Iran in wide areas and also in the economic sphere, and there is good assurance in this regard, but our expectation and demand from Iran is greater. The Islamic Republic must have more interactions with other countries in the area of recognition and its announcement, and this announcement must be a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He, referring to the water rights agreement between Iran and Afghanistan, noted that as long as the resources and reserves exist, the water rights will be provided according to the agreement.

This Taliban official also referred to the demands of Iran and the international community and emphasized that the issue of forming a government, system, inclusiveness, exclusivity and belonging to Afghans is and does not belong to other countries.

Mujahid said: “On this basis, other countries should not interfere in these matters, and our expectation is that the relations and interactions of different countries with Afghanistan will be like an independent and free country, which will benefit the governments.”

On the other hand, Ahmad-Ali Goudarzi, Iran’s border commander, has recently stated that the poor, deprived, and unstable Afghanistan will pose a persistent threat of narcotics to Iran.

The IRNA news agency reported on Sunday (June 23) that Mr. Goudarzi said the global will is to assist in the production and cultivation methods to combat drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

These remarks come after Iran’s border forces recently discovered 198 kilograms of narcotics near the Afghan border.

Although the Taliban claim to have eliminated drug cultivation and trafficking from Afghanistan, Iranian officials have consistently expressed concern over the smuggling of narcotics into Iran over the past year.

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