Iran’s foreign minister has announced plans for a “regional meeting” to reduce tensions between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan. Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran is working to organise the gathering, though he offered no details on its format or timing.
Speaking to reporters at an event in Tehran, Araghchi said Iran had recently engaged in efforts to mediate and stabilise relations between Islamabad and the Taliban. He said the proposed regional meeting would be part of those broader initiatives.
He said Iran had held a series of telephone contacts in recent days and hoped the efforts would produce “significant results.” He did not clarify which countries might be invited or where the meeting would be held.
Ties between the Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated in recent weeks amid disputes over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory. The two sides have held three rounds of talks mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, but the negotiations have ended without progress.
Last week, the Taliban said Pakistan had asked Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to issue a religious decree condemning the conflict in Pakistan. The Taliban responded that issuing fatwas falls under the authority of the Dar al-Ifta institutions, not the Taliban leader personally.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of supporting Pakistani militants involved in the insurgency against the state, an allegation the Taliban denies.
