Iran’s Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper accused the Taliban of waging a silent war against Iran, warning that Tehran’s current approach towards the group could harm Iran’s long-term interests.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Iranian diplomat Mohammad Reza Bahrami on the sidelines of the Moscow Format, discussing regional developments and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s blast in Faizabad, saying a targeted attack on a vehicle carrying Taliban members killed four people, including a Taliban commander.
Taliban governors, police chiefs and intelligence heads from southwestern Afghanistan met in Kandahar on Tuesday to discuss security, with senior officials from five provinces and military bodies attending.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari told UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday that militant groups based in Afghanistan continue to target Pakistan, adding that Islamabad has shared evidence of foreign support for them.
An explosion struck near the Taliban police headquarters in Faizabad, Badakhshan, early Wednesday. Taliban police said explosives hidden inside a flowerpot targeted a Toyota Corolla, injuring two civilians.
Sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban forces and the Afghanistan Freedom Front clashed early Wednesday in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. AFF spokesman Nusratullah Fateh confirmed the fighting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday described the dispute between the Taliban and Pakistan that prevented a final statement at the Moscow Format meeting as an unpleasant development.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called for expanded security, political and economic cooperation with Moscow during a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo says she met Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid during a visit to Kandahar, discussing Afghan women’s rights, counter-narcotics efforts and the Doha Process.
Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow Format participants agreed there was no alternative to expanding cooperation with the Taliban administration and integrating Afghanistan into the global economy.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami Afghanistan, has criticised the Taliban administration and called for power to be transferred to the people, saying Afghanistan’s future should be determined by its citizens.
A Taliban minister who last week said the group was ready for talks with its opponents has reversed his position, saying the time for negotiations has passed and opposition groups are “not worth negotiating with”.
A Taliban military delegation met a North Korean official during Russian military exercises, with South Korean media reporting talks on military training and the exchange of experience.
The UN Human Rights Council on Monday urged the Taliban to repeal all policies and measures violating the fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls, saying systematic discrimination in Afghanistan should shock the conscience of humanity.
The International Criminal Court said it had issued arrest warrants in September 2025 for Taliban ministers Habibullah Agha and Neda Mohammad Nadim. The warrants had remained sealed until Monday.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, confirmed to Afghanistan International that his mandate has been extended for another year by consensus at the UN Human Rights Council.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said the eighth Moscow Format meeting ended without a joint statement because of disagreements between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi accused Pakistan of using force and maximum pressure against the group, saying disputes between Kabul and Islamabad should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not military action.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that the deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries was unacceptable, speaking at the opening of the eighth Moscow Format meeting.
A new research report published on Genocide Watch’s website warns that conditions for Afghanistan’s Hazara community have deteriorated sharply under Taliban rule.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Moscow is closely monitoring security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border and continues to provide military equipment to strengthen it. Senior diplomat Alexander Sternik stressed continued arms and technical support for Dushanbe.