Diplomacy Alone With Taliban Won’t Be Effective, Says Member of Iran Chamber of Commerce

Farshid Shokrkhodaie the head of sustainable development commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, said that the Taliban has not allowed Iranian experts to visit the Kajaki Dam. Shokrkhodaei stressed that sticking only to diplomacy with the Taliban will never be effective.

However, he urged Iranian officials to utilise soft and hard power along with diplomatic efforts.

He explained, "Nearly five to six million Afghans live in our country as refugees. We also have fuel supply deals. If necessary, we must use the tools we have at hand.”

The member of the Iran Chamber of Commerce stressed that Iran has enough tools to pressurise the Taliban.

Following the escalation of tensions between Iran and the Taliban over Tehran’s water rights claims, the Taliban announced that there was not enough water in the Kamal Khan Dam.

The Islamic Republic, however, did not accept this claim of the Taliban and emphasised that Iranian experts should confirm the lack of water.

However, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stankzai, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Taliban, previously told Afghanistan International that the group will not allow the officials of the Islamic Republic to visit the Kajaki Dam.

However, the head of sustainable development of the Iran Chamber of Commerce believes that the Taliban will have to allow the Iranian delegation to visit the dam to assess the group’s claims of lack of water inside Afghanistan.