Iran’s foreign ministry said that Tehran will not accept political representatives of the Islamic Emirate until the Islamic Emirate is recognized by the world.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman of Iran’s foreign ministry, called on the current Afghan government to identify the perpetrators of an “attack” on the political representatives of Iran in Afghanistan, presumably referring to a demonstration held outside the Iranian embassy in Herat.
“The new government and the new political system in Afghanistan must be recognized so that the Islamic Emirate will be able to send new representatives,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Bahadur Aminian said that Tehran might persuade other countries to recognize the Afghan government if the Islamic Emirate brings reforms to its government structure.
“If a group comes (to power) and the group is (comprised) of a single ethnic group and all other ethnic groups are not included in the government, we don’t accept it, and, therefore, we benevolently call on the Taliban rulers to form an inclusive government,” he said.
But the Islamic Emirate said Aminian’s remarks are an attempt to interfere in Afghan affairs.
“Is the government or the cabinet of Iran based on other people’s definition of inclusive?” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate. “Every country has their own definition of inclusive government based on their national interests.”
“This government should be inclusive based on the Afghan nation’s wishes, not based on foreign countries’ interference,” said Sayed Javad Husseini, leader of Hezb-e-Adalat wa Tawsa.
The Iranian ambassador said that the current economic crisis will pave the way for extremism, particularly for Daesh.
“If the economic problems remain, it will cause more migration. If the economic problems remain, they will cause extremism, which will not only threaten Afghanistan but also the region,” he said.
Aminian, however, denied reports that Iranian forces were treating Afghan refugees violently, saying that approximately four million Afghans are settled in Iran.
Iran’s government provided educational opportunities for the Afghan refugees, he said.
Meanwhile, Kabul said that a delegation of the Islamic Emirate is scheduled to travel to Tehran in the near future to address current challenges.
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting minister of foreign affairs, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iranian minister of foreign affairs, in a telephone conversation, discussed the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran, as well as other political and economic issues.
“A delegation of (the Islamic Emirate) will travel to Iran to assess the situation of Afghan refugees. The exact date of this trip is still unknown,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
Nearly eight months have passed since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and Russia, Pakistan, Qatar, Pakistan, China and Turkmenistan have accepted the presence of Islamic Emirate diplomats working in Afghan embassies and diplomatic missions even while not recognizing the current government.
“Both sides have to listen to each others’ views and concerns and should address them,” said Sayed Javad Sajjadi, an international relations expert.
Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to Iran, resigned a few months after the Islamic Emirate takeover in Afghanistan and was replaced by his deputy, Abdul Qayoum Soleimani, who headed the Afghan embassy in Iran.—Tolonews
