Khalilzad Visits Kabul, Meets Taliban Foreign Minister

Alireza Bigdeli raised the proposal in a meeting with Hidayatullah Badri, the Taliban’s minister of mines and petroleum, according to a statement posted on X on Saturday by the Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

The statement said the talks focused on strengthening economic cooperation, expanding bilateral relations and encouraging investment in Afghanistan’s mineral sector. Bigdeli said Iranian companies are ready to invest in Afghanistan’s iron and oil mines.

Badri welcomed the interest of Iranian firms and pledged cooperation with Tehran, the ministry said.

Iran, like most countries, with the exception of Russia, has not formally recognised the Taliban administration but maintains extensive diplomatic and economic engagement with the group.

Earlier, Mahmoud Siadat, head of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said security conditions in Afghanistan had improved and that the environment was now favourable for investment, particularly in mining. He said Qatari, Turkish and Chinese companies were increasing their activities and warned that Iran’s global competitors were moving quickly to secure a foothold in the Afghan market.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the court said both individuals were sentenced to 25 lashes and one year in prison. The punishment was carried out after receiving approval from the head of the Taliban Supreme Court.

The statement did not specify whether the flogging was carried out in public, although the Taliban typically enforce corporal punishments publicly.

The Taliban judiciary describes the flogging of individuals convicted by its courts as the implementation of what it calls “Islamic sharia.”

Despite repeated criticism from international human rights organisations over the use of corporal punishment and the treatment of detainees, the Taliban have continued to impose floggings and other punitive measures across the country.

The statement contradict earlier claims that his death was caused by a gas-cylinder explosion.

Sources close to the Taliban had initially said Mawlawi Noman died when a gas cylinder exploded at his home. However, an eyewitness living near the residence said a second-floor room of the house where Noman and a guest were present at the time was completely destroyed.

The eyewitness described the incident as “highly targeted and calculated,” adding that the force of the blast was inconsistent with a domestic accident.

According to the witness, the guest who was with Mawlawi Noman was also killed in the attack. No official information has been released about the identity of the guest.

The eyewitness further said Taliban forces arrived quickly at the scene and deleted images and videos recorded by residents and neighbours in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

Taliban officials have so far made no public comment on the incident. It remains unclear whether the intended target was Mawlawi Noman or the unidentified guest who was with him at the time of the attack.

In its annual report, the centre said it documented at least 205 cases of violence against journalists and violations of media freedom over the past year. The report, published on Saturday, points to tight controls and systematic repression of media outlets and reporters.

According to the findings, at least two journalists were killed during the year in attacks attributed to Pakistan, while three others were wounded. The report also recorded more than 160 cases of threats against journalists and 34 instances of detention.

Despite these figures, a deputy at the Taliban Ministry of Information and Culture, one of the bodies overseeing censorship and media regulation, claimed in an interview with a Bangladeshi newspaper that the Taliban has no issues with the media and that no journalists are being held. This assertion contrasts with reports indicating that at least five Afghan journalists remain imprisoned.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center said incidents involving violations of media freedom and journalists’ rights rose by 13 percent compared with the previous year, attributing the increase to the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive policies.

The report cited the broadcast of forced confessions by detained journalists, bans on women journalists attending press conferences, and the censorship of women’s voices as evidence of a broader policy of intimidation, repression and severe gender discrimination.

It also highlighted the expansion of bans on publishing images of living beings in 23 provinces, a measure that has led to the closure of at least 20 television stations. The centre warned that the few remaining independent outlets face a serious risk of shutdown.

Expressing deep concern for the fundamental rights of journalists and media organisations, the watchdog said the future of media freedom and freedom of expression in Afghanistan faces grave and growing threats.

Speaking to Ensaf News, Khosh-Eghbal said the case is under review and that investigators have not yet reached a conclusion. He added that the findings are expected to be announced on Sunday.

Sari was killed in Tehran on Wednesday. Mohammad Amin Almas, a former battalion commander in the Afghan army, was also killed in the same attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination. However, anti-Taliban groups, including the Afghanistan Freedom Front and the National Resistance Front, have accused the Taliban of involvement.

The killing is the third assassination of military figures opposed to the Taliban on Iranian soil in the past four months. Earlier, a commander close to Ismail Khan, one of Afghanistan’s former jihadist leaders, was shot dead in Mashhad.

Iranian authorities remained silent for three days after the killing of the prominent anti-Taliban figure in the capital. Taliban opponents have since urged the Islamic Republic of Iran to conduct a serious and transparent investigation and to make the results public for the Afghan community.