Iranian Contractors’ Presence In Afghanistan Risky, Says Official

Bahman Salehi Javid, Iran’s Secretary of the Association of Exporters of Technical and Engineering Services, has warned about the presence of Iranian contractors in Afghanistan.

Javid stated that given the political conditions of Afghanistan, being present there poses financial and safety risks.

In an interview with ILNA News Agency, he said, "Since the Afghan government is very unstable and has not yet been recognised politically in international circles, relations with this country are not organised, and for this reason, the risk of presence in Afghanistan is very high."

Iran’s Secretary of the Association of Exporters of Technical and Engineering Services also noted that the presence of Iranian companies in Afghanistan is less than that of Chinese companies.

Javid explained, "Currently, Chinese companies are more prominent than those from other countries, including Iran and Turkey, in the Afghan contracting market."

According to him, currently, the Afghan contracting market is not economically viable for Iranian engineering companies. However, despite the risks, some companies are still present in the Afghan market.

He emphasised that the Afghan market is not attractive to investors in the contracting sector due to the lack of recognition of the Taliban and the consequent issues with financial and banking transactions.