Mohammad Reza Bahrami, director general for South Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said the purpose of an upcoming regional meeting on Afghanistan in Tehran is to facilitate an exchange of views among the special representatives of participating countries.
Earlier, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Tehran would host a regional meeting next week on “developments related to Afghanistan.” Referring to recent tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, Esmail Baghaei said: “We hope this meeting can play an effective role in strengthening cooperation and reducing tensions.”
However, Bahrami said that despite the escalation in relations between Islamabad and the Taliban, mediation is not on the agenda for the Tehran meeting.
According to Iranian state media, Bahrami said: “Our goal in this meeting is to create space for exchanging views and presenting perspectives among the special representatives of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.” He added that the Islamic Republic seeks to “strengthen convergence and mutual understanding regarding relevant developments.”
Bahrami said Afghanistan can play an important role in regional connectivity, economic development and the strengthening of regional security, and that the countries of the region share common interests in this regard.
Iran had previously expressed willingness to mediate between the Taliban and Pakistan.
At a gathering of religious clerics in Kabul, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that, according to decisions and fatwas issued by the assembly, Afghans must not engage in military activity outside Afghanistan.
Muttaqi said the Taliban has the authority to take action against Afghans who disobey this order, based on the assembly’s recommendations.
Speaking on Wednesday at the clerics’ conference, he said the gathering had offered “the best recommendations” to the Afghan people and the Taliban administration. He added that under the assembly’s ruling, anyone who “from near or far” commits aggression against the Taliban would make “jihad against them” obligatory for the people.
The Taliban foreign minister said leaders and elders of the administration have pledged that Afghan soil will not be used to harm any country. He said the clerics’ assembly also emphasised this point, stating that obeying it is necessary for everyone.
Muttaqi stressed that, under the assembly’s decisions, safeguarding the system is not solely the duty of officials and security institutions but “an obligation for Muslims” to protect the Taliban administration. He said clerics have always advised leaders to maintain unity among themselves and to shield the system from internal divisions.
Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, previously said the clerics’ meeting and its decisions are not enough; Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, must provide Pakistan with a written assurance. He added that Islamabad has not yet received the resolution from the assembly.
Andrabi said that while the gathering could be a positive step in counterterrorism efforts, Pakistan wants a written guarantee from both the Taliban administration and Mullah Hibatullah.
Rahmatullah Najib, head of the Taliban negotiation team, said on 12 November that during the Istanbul talks, the Pakistani delegation demanded a fatwa from Hibatullah against fighting in Pakistan. According to him, the Taliban delegation responded that Hibatullah does not issue fatwas. Pakistan must submit its request to the Darul-Ifta and should not expect fatwas to be issued according to its wishes.
The Taliban flogged 215 people including 44 women and 171 men across Afghanistan between 1 August and 31 October this year, according to a UN report presented to the Security Council on Wednesday.
The report also states that Taliban officials carried out the eleventh public execution during the same period, in Badghis Province.
The United Nations said unexploded ordnance continued to kill and injure civilians, reporting that eight civilians, including six children, were killed and 29 others wounded over the three-month period. At least one person in Afghanistan is killed or injured daily by explosive remnants of war, according to the report.
The UN noted that activities such as surveying, mine clearance, explosive-ordnance risk education and victim assistance decreased by 42 per cent this year compared with the same period last year due to budget cuts.
Between July and September, around 160 violations of children’s rights were documented, affecting at least 90 children, including 17 girls. These violations included the killing and maiming of children, denial of humanitarian access and attacks on schools and health facilities.
The report found that during the three-month period, the Taliban subjected Afghan citizens to arbitrary detentions and long prison sentences for what they described as violations of the law on the propagation of virtue. Scrutiny by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice within the education sector intensified, with reports indicating that 51 subjects such as civic values and human rights were removed from the school curriculum, while dozens more were flagged for review under the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic principles.
In the health sector, Taliban restrictions significantly reduced women’s access to medical treatment and training during this period. Male dentists were banned from treating female patients.
Regarding prisons, the UN said that despite the release of some detainees, the total number of prisoners under Taliban rule has reached its highest level, estimated at 30,000 to 32,000.
Rise in Security Incidents and Continued Killings of Former Security Forces
Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s acting chief, wrote in her quarterly report to the Security Council that the organisation recorded 2,737 security incidents between 1 August and 31 October, a 14.7 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.
Anti-Taliban armed groups claimed responsibility for 41 security incidents in Baghlan, Helmand, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nimroz, Panjshir and Takhar provinces, of which 19 were verified. These groups include the Afghanistan Freedom Front, the National Resistance Front, the National Battle Front, the National Mobilisation Front, the Islamic Liberation Front of the Afghan People and the Afghanistan Liberation Movement. The UN did not specify which claims were verified.
Despite these incidents, the report noted that opposition armed groups have not posed a “serious challenge” to Taliban authority.
Decline in Islamic State–Khorasan (ISKP) Attacks
The UN said ISKP attacks decreased in number and scope between 1 August and 31 October. It reported that on 12 August, ISKP claimed two of its fighters arrested for theft were taken from Kunduz prison and killed in custody. On 13 August, Taliban forces killed an ISKP commander, and on 15 August ISKP said it executed a man in Nangarhar accused of informing for the Taliban.
Border Clashes
The report documented several border incidents involving Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan.
On 13 August in Nangarhar Province, Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters clashed over new Taliban security posts. In Kunar Province, Pakistani forces fired mortar rounds into Afghanistan.
On 6 August, Taliban border police clashed with Pakistani forces in Badakhshan over the construction of a border post.
Taliban forces and Tajik border police exchanged fire on 25 August and 24 October.
On 29 August in Kunar, two separate incidents were reported: one involving exchanges of fire that caused property damage, and another involving artillery shells fired from Pakistan.
UNAMA wrote that on 30 August, Taliban forces and Iranian border guards exchanged fire after reports that Iranian forces had beaten Afghans attempting to cross the border, briefly closing the crossing.
Further incidents on 5, 14 and 16 September in Kunar saw mortar and small-arms fire from Pakistan destroy a private home, kill livestock and damage other property.
Clashes With Pakistan
Pakistan continues to claim that the Afghan Taliban are sheltering TTP fighters inside Afghanistan, an allegation the Taliban deny.
UNAMA documented airstrikes and drone activity across Afghanistan between 1 August and 31 October. Surveillance drones were observed over several districts in Ghazni, Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktia and Parwan.
Airstrikes on 11 August in Nuristan and on 27 August in Khost, Kunar and Nangarhar targeted areas allegedly housing TTP members, resulting in civilian casualties.
Increased drone activity was reported on 14 September in Khost, 17 September in Paktika and Paktia, 23 September in Kandahar and 30 September in Kunduz.
The UN said reports indicate airstrikes on 9 October targeted TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud in Kabul, though he is believed to have survived. Another TTP-linked figure, Hafiz Bahadur Gul, was reportedly targeted in an airstrike in Paktika on 10 October.
The report noted that after the Taliban Ministry of Defense launched an operation, several border clashes and airstrikes occurred between 10 and 18 October in provinces bordering Pakistan, including Spin Boldak in Kandahar and parts of Kabul. Two rocket explosions in Kabul’s District 4 on 15 October caused multiple casualties.
Heavy Civilian Casualties in Taliban–Pakistan Fighting
Gagnon said that between 10 and 17 October alone, at least 50 civilians were killed and 453 others injured in clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces. Most casualties were caused by airstrikes and cross-border shelling in Spin Boldak and Kabul.
According to the report, the Taliban intelligence directorate informed UNAMA in writing that the 15 October attacks caused “extensive civilian casualties” and violated Pakistan’s earlier commitment to refrain from further strikes.
Continued Arrest, Torture and Killing of Former Security Personnel
UNAMA documented at least six killings, 24 arbitrary detentions and six cases of torture or ill-treatment of former security personnel and government officials between 1 August and 31 October.
Restrictions and Security Incidents Affecting UN Staff
The UN reported 63 safety and security incidents directly affecting its staff. It said restrictions on UN activities increased after the Taliban leader issued a strict order banning Afghan female UN staff from entering office premises.
UNAMA wrote that Taliban Ministry of Defense personnel were stationed outside the UN Operations Centre in Kabul to block the entry of Afghan female staff, and similar measures were taken near the “Baron” compound in Kabul.
Following the Taliban religious scholars’ gathering in Kabul, Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said the resolution from the meeting has not yet reached Islamabad.
He said the gathering could be a positive step in the fight against terrorism, but Islamabad wants a written guarantee from the Taliban and Mullah Hibatullah.
Speaking at his weekly briefing on Thursday, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomes anti-terrorism positions, adding that any review of the resolution depends on receiving its official copy.
Nearly 1,000 pro-Taliban religious scholars from various Afghan provinces met in Kabul on Wednesday, 10 December, and declared in a resolution that no Afghan citizen should participate in battles outside the country’s borders. The resolution emphasised that the Taliban must prevent individuals from leaving Afghanistan to fight.
The Pakistani government has repeatedly said that fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attack the country’s police and military forces from inside Afghan territory, and has urged the Taliban to take practical steps to stop these attacks.
Rahmatullah Najib, head of the Taliban negotiation team, recently said the Pakistani delegation at the Istanbul talks requested a fatwa from Hibatullah against fighting in Pakistan. The Taliban delegation responded that Hibatullah does not issue fatwas. According to Najib, Pakistan must submit its request to the Taliban’s Darul-Ifta and should not expect fatwas to be issued according to its wishes.
Pakistan had previously asked the Taliban during peace talks in Istanbul and Doha to provide a written assurance that they would help prevent attacks by TTP militants. Islamabad stressed that this guarantee must be official and backed by regional countries in order to stabilise relations between the two sides. The Taliban refused to give such a written commitment, and the talks ended without results.
Albert Khorev, Russia’s ambassador to Pakistan, has said Moscow is concerned about escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban. The Russian diplomat noted that Moscow hopes both sides will resolve their differences through diplomatic means.
The head of Russia’s diplomatic mission in Pakistan added that Moscow is ready to expand counterterrorism cooperation with both Islamabad and Kabul. Khorev stressed that terrorism is a shared threat and that confronting it serves the interests of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and the wider international community.
In October 2025, armed clashes erupted along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in what became the deadliest confrontation since the Taliban returned to power.
The Russian ambassador in Islamabad had previously stated that his country was prepared to mediate between the Taliban and Pakistan. Expressing concern over regional security, particularly developments in Afghanistan, Khorev said Russia supports efforts to strengthen peace and stability in South Asia.
Following the breakdown of Taliban–Pakistan talks in Istanbul, Moscow and Tehran held several rounds of consultations on managing tensions between the two sides. Iran had earlier announced plans to host a special regional meeting to address the crisis in Taliban–Pakistan relations.
Russia and the Islamic Republic maintain close political and security ties with both the Taliban administration and Pakistan.
Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that Pakistani and Taliban representatives had held talks in Saudi Arabia, which also ended in failure. The negotiations in Saudi Arabia took place after the second and third rounds of talks in Istanbul produced no results.
Qatar and Turkiye, acting as mediators, hosted three rounds of negotiations between the Taliban and Pakistan. The first round was held in Doha, where the two sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier confirmed the failure of the Istanbul talks. On 8 November, he wrote on X that the discussions with Pakistan in Istanbul had “led to no result.”
Mujahid said certain factions within Pakistan’s intelligence and military were obstructing the process and attempting to inflame tensions through “fabricated pretexts.”
A people’s tribunal examining abuses against Afghan women is set to deliver its final judgment on Thursday regarding the Taliban’s repression of women and girls.
The tribunal convened in October, where four prosecutors and more than 20 Afghan witnesses presented evidence on bans on education and employment, arbitrary detentions and the suppression of women’s protests.
The People’s Tribunal on Afghanistan’s Women was held over three days in Madrid, during which prosecutors and Afghan women and girls outlined allegations against the Taliban based on documented reports.
The accusations included gender-based crimes, denial of the right to education, exclusion from political and civic participation and the deprivation of women’s right to work. At the close of the three-day hearings, the judges said the voices of Afghan women had been heard and warned that the Taliban should not be normalised.
The tribunal’s final judgment is scheduled to be announced on Thursday in The Hague, the Netherlands, in the presence of Rashida Manjoo, Araceli García del Soto, Elisenda Calvet Martínez, Emilio Ramírez Matos, Ghizaal Haress, Kalpana Sharma, Mai El-Sadany and Marina Forti.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem and other experts from various fields are also expected to speak at the event.
Women and girls who testified before the tribunal say they hope the ruling will help increase global attention and pressure to hold the Taliban accountable.