Will Personally Negotiate with Taliban on Water Rights, Says Iran’s Minister of Energy
Ali Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Energy of Iran, said that the Taliban has only verbally promised to fulfil the country's water rights. Mehrabian told reporters that he will personally start negotiations with Taliban to fulfil Iran's water rights when he comes to Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson had announced in February, that this group fully accepts Iran's claim of water rights.
Iran's Crisis Management Organisation had previously said that the country is vulnerable in the water sector and there is no safe water in Iran, except the sea.
Iran's water rights have always been a source of tension between Tehran and Kabul. Under the Taliban’s reign in the past year, the two countries have even witnessed armed clashes over water issues.
The Iranian Crisis Management Organisation said that according to the 1973 water rights treaty between the two countries, Afghanistan must send 50 cubic meters of water per second from the Helmand River to Iran, but so far not even a single cubic meter of water has been given.
Taliban and Iran recently formed a committee to resolve border issues, including water rights.
