Iranian Official Urges Diplomatic Pressure On Taliban After Kerman Blasts

Vahid Jalazadeh, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament, has called for increased diplomatic pressure on the Taliban in response to the recent explosions in Kerman.

He urged Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other nations linked to supporting terrorism.

Addressing the parliament on Tuesday, Jalazadeh stressed the importance of a more assertive stance from Iran's security and intelligence agencies against terrorism.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Iran's Parliament, met with Tajik counterpart Rustam Emomali in Tehran to discuss concerns about ISIS's activities in Afghanistan.

Contrastingly, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, in Kabul, emphasizing cooperation with the Taliban. This meeting was reported by the Taliban to have taken place on Sunday, highlighting Iran's policy of cooperation with the Taliban government, as evidenced by several signed agreements.

Despite not officially recognizing the Taliban government, Iran maintains close relations with the group, having transferred control of the Afghan embassy in Tehran to them.

The recent Kerman explosions, claimed by ISIS, have intensified criticism of Iran's ties with the Taliban.