Over the last few weeks, a flurry of diplomatic efforts in the West Asia region brought the Taliban to the fore. Last week, the Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, traveled to neighboring Pakistan at the head of a large delegation. During the visit, many security issues were discussed, with the situation in Afghanistan seeming to be one of them. This is evident from the fact that Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, accompanied the foreign minister during the three-day visit.
In an interview with IRNA, Qomi spoke about why Afghanistan is of importance to Tehran and Islamabad. “Every development that takes place in Afghanistan has its effects on the security environment of Iran and Pakistan,” he said.
Qomi said the U.S. is seeking to turn Afghanistan into a hotspot for the war-torn country’s neighbors. “Due to the long borders that we have with Afghanistan, the enemies are trying to create insecurity from this direction,” he said.
The envoy said a series of developments are taking place that are related to past occupiers. “Yesterday’s occupiers are trying to create new shenanigans in this country under a new disguise,” he said, adding that the U.S. has replaced their troops with Daesh fighters. “The Americans are acting in such a way to prevent Afghanistan’s interactions with other countries,” he continued.
According to Qomi, the U.S. is using many leverages to “manage Afghanistan’s foreign relations.”
He stated, “They use the blocked money of Afghanistan as a tool and lever for exerting pressure.”
“Therefore, in the policy of yesterday's occupiers, the continuation of instability in Afghanistan is important, because this country must become a critical area for its neighbors. This is while the countries of the region want Afghanistan to go towards stability, peace, and construction,” he said.
Qomi called on the Taliban leaders to be vigilant and move toward regional convergence and cooperation. He also urged the countries of the region to encourage the Taliban to prioritize convergence. “This is what we are following now and our consultations in Pakistan were within the framework of this issue,” he said.
The envoy’s warning about the U.S. using the Taliban to create insecurity comes after an important meeting between the Taliban and the U.S. in Qatar, where they held the first official talks since the Taliban takeover.
A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the two sides discussed confidence-building measures during the two-day talks, including the lifting of sanctions and travel bans as well as the return of Afghan central bank assets held abroad, according to Al Jazeera.
A source revealed to the Tehran Times the reason behind Iran’s warning. The source said the U.S. put forth an offer to Taliban negotiators that could destabilize the region. The U.S. offered to release $7b in Afghan funds frozen in American banks in exchange for a Taliban move to destabilize Iran, something that the Taliban have not accepted yet, according to the source.
The U.S. outreach to the Taliban also comes amid reports that the Taliban purportedly considered using suicide bombers in recent border clashes with Iran that followed a water dispute. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said the Taliban sent thousands of troops and hundreds of suicide bombers to the border with Iran in a show of force. As well as soldiers and suicide bombers, its rare military deployment also included hundreds of military vehicles and weapons left behind by the U.S., according to Bloomberg.
Since the Taliban takeover nearly two years ago, Iran has sought to help Afghanistan overcome multilayered challenges. To this end, Iran held extensive talks with almost all the stakeholders. And when border clashes between the two sides, Iran calmed down the situation and urged a diplomatic solution.
By Soheila Zarfam
First published in Tehran Times