US State Department: No Support for Armed Conflict in Afghanistan

In an article published on Sunday, September 1st, the newspaper expressed concerns that the groundwork laid by Iran's previous twelfth government, and further facilitated by the thirteenth, has allowed the Taliban to gain a significant foothold in the country.

The article notes that the thirteenth government provided the Taliban with extensive support, including handing over the Afghan embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad to the group, inviting Taliban representatives to official meetings, and allowing unregulated entry of Afghan nationals into Iran. This transfer of diplomatic facilities to the Taliban took place in February 2023 for the embassy and in July 2024 for the consulate.

Jomhouri-e Eslami cautioned that the Taliban, leveraging the support and resources they have received, could infiltrate tens of thousands of their trained members into Iran, establishing them in various regions across the country. The article alleges that these infiltrated Taliban members are armed and have already been involved in numerous criminal activities in both cities and villages within Iran.

The newspaper also suggested that some of the perpetrators behind recent explosions and assassinations, such as those in Kerman, Mashhad, and Shah Cheragh in Shiraz, were Taliban members. However, it claims that Iranian authorities have not disclosed these connections due to misplaced considerations.

Criticising both the twelfth and thirteenth Iranian governments, Jomhouri-e Eslami emphasised that the Taliban view the people of Iran as infidels and believe that killing them is a religious obligation.

The article further highlighted that the Taliban have shown no respect for Iran's legal rights, including those related to the Helmand water dispute, border regulations, and the activities of cultural and humanitarian iran orgnisations in Afghanistan. Additionally, it accused the Taliban of oppressing Persian speakers and Shia Muslims within Afghanistan.

Despite not officially recognising the Taliban, Iran has maintained extensive diplomatic and economic relations with the group. Over the past three years, numerous meetings between Taliban officials and Iranian representatives have taken place in Tehran and Kabul.

Jomhouri-e Eslami expressed concerns that the Iranian public fears a repeat of the historical era of Mahmoud Afghan under the Taliban's influence.

The article added that all of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries have experienced increased insecurity since the Taliban's takeover, with the group recruiting from these countries and contributing to regional instability.

The newspaper concluded by urging Iran's fourteenth government to take decisive action using political leverage to counter this threat. It also recommended an urgent and serious reassessment of the officials at Iran's embassy in Kabul.

The purpose of the visit is to gain insights from China's advancements in the agricultural sector and to participate in a trilateral meeting involving the Taliban, Pakistan, and China.

According to the ministry's press release on Saturday, August 31, the delegation will attend a ten-day meeting in the city of Xi. During this time, the Taliban representatives will familiarize themselves with China's agricultural developments and the country's achievements in attaining self-sufficiency in this field.

The ministry also noted that the delegation will tour China's agricultural facilities and examine the country's farming equipment.

Currently, Afghanistan relies on imported wheat and flour, which are supplied by other countries. The Taliban's Ministry of Agriculture had earlier announced plans to purchase surplus wheat from local farmers and store it to help stabilize market prices.

This visit marks an effort by the Taliban to explore international agricultural practices and potentially strengthen Afghanistan's agricultural sector through collaboration with China.

In a message posted on his Facebook page on Friday, he emphasised that without confronting the Taliban, Pashtuns’ rights cannot be achieved. He further said that those who are fighting for Pashtuns’ rights must first make a move against the Taliban.

Referring to some Pashtun nationalists who, in his view, show leniency toward the Taliban and adopt a softer stance against the group, Dawar said that if anyone tries to justify or provide excuses for legitimising the Taliban, their statements against the establishment [Pakistan's military] are baseless and false.

He also clarified that such approaches and policies are not a fight for Pashtun rights but rather a betrayal of those rights under the guise of struggle.

Dawar urged Pashtun nationalists in Pakistan who adopt a soft stance toward the Taliban to learn from "Afghanistan's experience”.

Although Dawar did not explicitly name any individuals, recent days have seen tensions and disagreements on social media between supporters of Dawar's party and those of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a Pashtun nationalist politician in Pakistan.

Dawar concluded by stating, "Accepting the Taliban is a betrayal of your nation and people."

In his statement, Qani described NATO as the "largest military and tyrannical force”. He also said that Muslims should "unite and be cohesive" to combat "infidels”.

He condemned the 20-year presence of the United States and NATO forces in Afghanistan as an invasion, claiming that the Taliban had taught them a lesson.

Qani called August 30 as the day the US was brought to its knees, describing the withdrawal of NATO forces as a "disgraceful exit" and framing it as a victory for the Taliban.

Previously, the Taliban had celebrated August 14 as a victory over "US and its allies' occupation," marking it with a public holiday and commemorating the third anniversary of their takeover of Kabul.

In reaction to the anniversary of the final US soldier's departure, some social media users noted that the Taliban still receives weekly payments from the US and continues to benefit from US support.

These agreements focus on advancing joint projects in the energy and transportation sectors.

Hidayatullah Badri, the Taliban’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, led the Taliban delegation, which included representatives from the Breshna Company and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Works. The meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral economic relations between Turkmenistan and the Taliban.

Among the agreements signed were initiatives for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAPI) power transmission line and the construction of facilities for the Torghundi railway line. Additionally, an agreement was reached between the companies involved in the TAPI project in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, though specifics were not disclosed.

While Turkmenistan does not officially recognise the Taliban, it maintains substantial economic ties with the group.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, stated after a virtual meeting with Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov that Turkmenistan aims to "start work on the TAPI project in Afghanistan soon”.

On August 8, Baradar and Meredov discussed practical steps for implementing the TAPI project in Afghanistan, expanding the railway station at Torghundi port, and developing comprehensive transit and transportation facilities.

The TAPI project, inaugurated in December 2015 in Ashgabat by leaders from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Turkmenistan, is an 1,800-kilometre pipeline valued at $10 billion. It was initially slated for completion by 2019 but faced delays due to security issues in Afghanistan.

The pipeline begins in western Turkmenistan, travels through Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan, continues to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan, and ends in western India.

The Taliban have confirmed that all legal stages of the TAPI project are complete and are prepared to collaborate on its implementation.