An Iranian official said Monday that negotiations with the Taliban over the Helmand River water rights have yet to yield tangible results, accusing the group of failing to meet their obligations under a decades-old treaty.
Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s water industry, said in a press conference that the Taliban had not upheld the terms of the 1973 Helmand River Treaty and had delivered only a small volume of water to Iran.
“According to the 1973 treaty, Afghanistan is obligated to deliver a specified share of Helmand River water to Iran. However, since the beginning of the current water year, only about 119 million cubic metres of water have entered the country, a figure significantly below expectations,” Bozorgzadeh said.
He noted that although a recent meeting between commissioners from both countries had taken place and diplomatic channels remained open, no “concrete outcome” had yet been reached.
Emphasising Iran’s commitment to international agreements, Bozorgzadeh acknowledged the severity of the regional drought but said water flow to Iran should still be higher than it currently is. He warned that eastern Iran particularly the Sistan and Baluchestan province is facing a worsening water crisis.
“Iran expects its neighbours to fulfil their obligations within the framework of regional norms and international law,” he added.
The Taliban, however, maintains that it is complying with the treaty. Speaking during a recent visit to Iran, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said his government was committed to honouring the water-sharing agreement, despite the drought that has gripped much of Afghanistan.
“Delivering water to Iran is a religious and Islamic responsibility,” Muttaqi said. “Our goal is to prevent water wastage and ensure it reaches Iran properly. This is a virtuous act and a positive political step.”
He stressed that water shortages were not isolated to Iran, but also impacted Afghan provinces such as Nimruz, Helmand, Farah and Baluchistan. Muttaqi claimed that in the absence of drought, water would flow naturally into Iran, as it had over the past month.
The dispute over Helmand River water rights has long strained relations between Tehran and Kabul. Some Iranian officials have accused the Taliban of deliberately restricting water flow to Iran by constructing dams and diverting the river.
Muttaqi did not directly address those accusations but reiterated that Afghanistan’s intent was to use water efficiently and minimise waste.
The Helmand River Treaty was signed in 1973 between Mohammad Musa Shafiq, then Prime Minister of Afghanistan, and Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, then Prime Minister of Iran, under the Afghan monarchy. Despite political changes in both countries since then, the agreement remains in force though implementation remains a source of contention.
