The conference, attended by representatives from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia, was held under the title “Efforts to Reduce Tensions.”
According to the newspaper, the choice of title itself highlights that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan remains a major source of regional instability.
Citing UN reports, the newspaper noted that Afghanistan under Taliban rule has been described as a hub for terrorism, with more than 20 extremist groups operating in the country with Taliban support, posing risks to regional security.
The Taliban’s decision to boycott the Tehran meeting follows a similar refusal last year, which the paper interprets as a sign that the group neither values Iran’s diplomatic outreach nor acknowledges its own destabilizing role.
The editorial argued that the Taliban views tension as central to its political identity and pointed to its alleged support for the Pakistani Taliban as evidence.
The newspaper warned Iranian policymakers against further concessions to the Taliban, stressing that such engagement risks undermining Iran’s standing among the Afghan people.
