Interior minister: Enemies seeking to divide Iran, Afghanistan

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has warned that attacks on Iranian diplomatic missions in Afghanistan were aimed at fomenting discord between the two neighbors.

“Some are seeking to divide Iran and Afghanistan, and this is the enemy’s planning,” Vahidi explained.

Referring to the long history and good relations between the two nations, Vahidi noted: “Iran has always been a good host for Afghan refugees and the actions of some individuals in Herat and Kabul are unacceptable… Afghan officials should take care of these issues.”

His comments come a day after groups of Afghans attacked the Iranian Embassy in Kabul and the Iranian Consulate in Heart and pelted the buildings with rocks. They were angered by unverified videos purporting to show Afghan refugees being beaten in Iran.

Tehran says the images are baseless and invalid and aimed at harming the historical relations between the two countries.

Iran is a major destination for Afghans leaving their country amid worsening poverty and hunger.

The Islamic Republic, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan, currently hosts over five million Afghan refugees. Some sources put the number at 8 million, given the influx of Afghan refugees into Iran following the Taliban takeover last August.

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