Will Not Risk Security For Economic Interests, Iran On Relations With Taliban

Commenting on reports of land sales to Afghans and the Taliban's presence in Chabahar, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said that Iran does not endanger its internal security and borders for the sake of economic interests.

In response to a question about the Islamic Republic's plan to prevent "the infiltration of the Taliban under the pretext of commercial action", Fatemeh Mohajerani replied, "The ownership and sovereignty of the lands is in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran and absolutely cannot be transferred."

A few days ago, the Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that irresponsible people are trying to hand over the land of Chabahar port to Afghans. The newspaper called the Taliban a self-proclaimed government that has opened the way for infiltration into the region under the pretext of commercial activities.

At a press conference in Tehran, the government spokeswoman emphasised, "Never, ever, never, at any time, under any circumstances, will the country endanger its internal security and the security of its borders for any economic gain."

At the same time, Fatemeh Mohajerani said, "In the form of national interests and joint exploitation, and in the form of common interests, exploitation may be entrusted," but the ownership of the lands belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In February 2024, Mohammadullah Bakhtiar, the Taliban's head of transit at the Ministry of Commerce, in a meeting with officials of the Islamic Republic, called for the establishment of a representative of the group in the Chabahar Free Zone.