Yaqub Rezazadeh, a member of the Iranian Parliament, has stated that Afghanistan and Pakistan do not have control over their borders and "bandits and terrorists" dominate the borders of these two countries.
Rezazadeh warned of the infiltration of terrorists into Iranian territory and emphasised that arms smuggling is ongoing at the Iranian border.
In an interview with the Iranian news agency Shafaqna, he said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran shares approximately 1,950 kilometres of border with Afghanistan and Pakistan; in other words, our provinces of South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and even Hormozgan are bordering the two countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Given my understanding of these two borders, unfortunately, the authorities of Afghanistan and Pakistan do not have full control over their borders."
He emphasised that "bandits and terrorist elements" dominate the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that arms traffickers are present across these borders.
The Iranian parliament member stated that Iran's forces are making significant efforts to maintain border security and have full oversight of the borders, but according to him, the topography of the border makes human control very difficult.
Rezazadeh said that Iran needs electronic tools, cameras, and modern equipment to maintain the security of its borders.
He called on the Iranian Ministry of Interior to devise a special plan for border control.
Rezazadeh further stated that the inability to control the borders has resulted in several thousand Afghans, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis entering Iran illegally each year.
He said, "It is possible that among the illegal entrants, there are also terrorists."
These remarks come as Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's president-elect, said during his election campaign that he would close the border with Afghanistan if elected.
He said that Western countries must take responsibility for their actions in Afghanistan, which have led to the migration of millions of Afghans.
