Iran: Extra-regional meddling in Afghanistan fuels insecurity in broader region

He made the comments during a speech at the fifth session of a regional security forum titled the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in the Russian capital.

The Iranian security chief said creating security, peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan is Iran’s main priority.

He said collective efforts by neighbors alone cannot bring lasting peace and stability to Afghanistan, and that the solution to the vicious cycle of insecurity and instability is concrete actions on the part of the governing body in Afghanistan and other internal actors.

Shamkhani warned that further delay in pursuing political mechanisms for the participation of all ethnic groups and parties in governance in Afghanistan will not only bring no advantage, but will add to the country’s existing woes.

He slammed America’s continuous attempts to turn Afghanistan into a platform for promoting insecurity and terrorism, saying this will have consequences for the broader region.

Referring to the US, he said, “Those who played the biggest role in the destruction of Afghanistan are now most responsible for providing the costs of rebuilding Afghanistan’s economic infrastructure, and we should not allow them to shirk this responsibility.”

The senior official also urged the US to release the frozen assets of the Afghan nation.