Iranian MP Proposes Shutting Down Taliban Embassy in Tehran Over Water Rights Issue

According to Maleki, after the warning of the President of Iran to the Taliban about the water rights issue from Helmand River, it had been expected that some action would be taken by Iran. He stressed that, however, there was no action taken against the group.

On Sunday, in an interview with Asr-e Iran media, the Iranian member of parliament emphasised that to pursue the Taliban over the water rights issue, the group’s embassy in Tehran should be closed.

The Islamic Republic of Iran handed over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban in early 2023 and Taliban members have been appointed as the caretaker of the embassy in Tehran.

With the continued tension between the Islamic Republic and the Taliban over Iran's water rights from the Helmand River, this is not the first time that Iranian parliament members have proposed closing the Taliban embassy in Tehran.

Maliki said, "Taliban says there is no water, while according to the reports that are given to us, there is water in the Kajaki dam."

According to him, currently, the water rights issue is on the agenda of one of the committees of the Supreme National Security Council, so that the issue could be followed through non-diplomatic channels.

Maliki added that one of these ways could be to close the Taliban embassy in Tehran and reduce political, commercial, and economic relations through the Chabahar port of Iran.