Iran Rejects US Claims, Reaffirms Commitment to Afghan Stability

An Iranian official has dismissed the recent remarks made by the US envoy for Afghanistan about Tehran’s “insufficient support” for peace in Afghanistan, saying Iran favours stability in the neighbouring country.

Photo by Wakil Kohsar / AFP / Getty Images

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports peace and stability in Afghanistan and stresses the need to establish peace based on the outcome of intra-Afghan talks owned and led by the Afghans,” said Mohammad-Ebrahim Taheri, the special representative of the Iranian foreign minister for Afghan affairs.

“We recommend US officials first carefully review the stances [of Iranian authorities] before expressing their opinions about the viewpoints of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s officials about regional and Afghan issues,” he said.

His comments came after the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, blamed Iran for not properly supporting the Afghan peace process.

“Iran has not been as supportive as it should be in the effort to get to Intra-Afghan negotiations and an Afghan settlement largely due to our relations with them. We have worked hard with India and Pakistan to support the Afghan Peace Process,” Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad claimed, while speaking at a virtual event organised by the US Institute of Peace on Friday.

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