Taliban Will Not Permit Foreign Interference, Says Iranian Acting FM

Ali Bagheri, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, announced on Sunday evening his first telephone conversation with the Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Bagheri emphasised on the Taliban's close ties with regional countries and stated that the Taliban would not permit foreign actors, responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan, to interfere.

Bagheri assumed leadership of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Amir Hossein Abdollahian, the country foreign minister was killed in an air accident.

Nearly a month after Bagheri's appointment, this marks his first official contact with the Taliban's Foreign Minister. Notably, the Taliban did not send a representative to the recent Tehran meeting on Afghanistan.

During his conversation with Muttaqi, Bagheri stressed on the importance of strengthening the Taliban's relations with regional countries and distancing themselves from Western nations.

He wrote on his X account, "The people of Afghanistan are the primary decision-makers for their country, in cooperation with neighbouring and regional countries. They do not allow intervention from foreign actors who have a history of destructive interventions and are responsible for the current problems."

Bagheri added that the Islamic Republic and the Taliban, given the "civilisational and cultural commonalities" of the two countries, "strive in cooperation and coordination to maintain regional stability and security”.

Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Iran has been one of the major regional countries that has continuously improved its relations with the Taliban. However, Tehran has not responded positively to the Taliban's main demand for diplomatic recognition.