Taliban
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Zarif:
Peace dialogue on Afghanistan needs participation of Afghan govt.
TEHRAN, Nov. 24 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that any plan on Afghanistan’s peace process needs to be conducted with the active participation of the Afghan government.
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Pakistan summons US envoy to protest over Trump’s tweets
TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (MNA) – Pakistan summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires in Islamabad on Tuesday after President Donald Trump's tweets on Pakistan's role in fighting terrorism and the capture of Osama bin Laden.
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
Taliban talks: Dialogue and violence can’t go together
TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) – Dialogue and violence cannot go hand in hand. The first cardinal principle of ‘peace negotiations’ is an unconditional ceasefire. That is how the two warring parties build trust, bury the hatchet and make peace with each other. You cannot extend an olive branch and point the barrel of gun at the same time. That renders the whole exercise futile.
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
Moscow talks opportunity to “open a new page” in Afghanistan’s history
TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (MNA) – On Friday, Russia hosted a landmark international meeting on Afghanistan, which saw the participation of representatives from the Taliban, Afghan government and many regional countries, including Iran.
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Ex-Taliban chief
Moscow conference 'futile' with no envoys from Afghan govt.
TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (MNA) – A former Taliban leader said the inter-Afghan reconciliation talks in Moscow will bear no fruit with the Kabul government not having any representatives at the event.
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Moscow conference on Afghanistan kicks off
TEHRAN, Nov. 09 (MNA) – Moscow is hosting the second meeting of the Moscow-format consultations on Afghanistan at the level of deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on November 9.
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Zarif in interview with CBS:
US wrong choices lead to disaster in Middle East
TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) – The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has criticized the US 'blind support' for Saudi Arabia and Israeli regime which has led to disaster in the Middle East region.
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FM Zarif blasts US newly announced bans on 2 IRGC commanders
TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) – In a tweet on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to sanctioning two IRGC commanders by the United States under the pretext of supporting Taliban.
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Iran offers congratulations to Afghanistan on successful parl. elections
TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (MNA) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi has offered congratulations to the Afghan government and nation for successful of holding parliamentary elections in the country.
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
Top Afghan commander’s killing raises questions
TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) – The formidable, flamboyant, maverick police chief of southern Afghan province of Kandahar General Abdul Raziq Achakzai was gunned down in a shootout inside the provincial governor’s office on Thursday, along with the governor and intelligence chief.
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Afghan elections 2018;
Afghans go to the polls to vote for parliamentary elections
TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) – Some 8.8 million Afghans are expected to vote on Saturday in the country's parliamentary elections as tens of thousands of forces fan out across the country to protect 21,000 polling stations.
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Iran supports any initiative to guarantee benefits of Afghan nation: FM spox
TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi has denounced a recent terrorist attack in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar which left a number of officials and ordinary people dead and wounded.
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By: Mona Hossaini
Women's critical role in Afghan peace process
TEHRAN, Aug. 28 (MNA) – Women have been the most affected by the conflicts in the South Asian region. The India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir; the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war; civil war in Nepal; and insurgency in Sri Lanka are the most significant examples of conflict in that region.
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Taliban to attend Afghan peace talks in Moscow: spokesman
TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) – In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Taliban spokesman Zabihollah Mujahid reaffirmed that the group will attend the Afghan peace talks in Moscow next month.
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Afghan legal expert:
Peace talks with Taliban not feasible without Afghan govt. leading it
TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) – In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Shafeek Seddiq, a renowned legal expert, political commentator and writer based in Kabul, talked about the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, peace talks between the Taliban and the US, and upcoming presidential elections.
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Rockets hit near Afghanistan's Presidential Palace
TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) – At least nine rockets hit near the area of Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace in Kabul, where President Ashraf Ghani was delivering speech to celebrate the Eid al-Adha on Tuesday.
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Taliban spox:
Taliban talks with US strictly aimed at ending occupation
TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) – An official spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, told Mehr News that the war in Afghanistan is under the control of Americans, saying Taliban’s talks with US aims at ending the occupation.
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
Kabul school attack underscores threat to Afghanistan’s future
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) – Children victimized in terrorist attacks means the generations who are tasked with building the future are in danger.
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‘Takfiri groups can’t establish strategic presence in Kashmir: expert
TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) – The shadowy forces of takfirism pose the biggest danger to Islam and Muslims today. They are hell-bent on destroying the fabric of Islam and sow seeds of discord among Muslims.
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By Syed Zafar Mehdi
Taliban-US talks an exercise in futility
TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) – If reports in the Afghan and international media are to be believed, the first round of ‘preliminary talks’ between the US and the Taliban were held last week in Doha.
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
‘Deteriorating security situation shows US-led coalition has failed to achieve goals in Afghanistan’
TEHRAN, Jul. 23 (MNA) – Muslim Shirzad is a Kabul-based senior TV journalist, political commentator and university lecturer. He is one of the candidates in upcoming Afghan parliamentary elections. In an interview with Tehran Times, he spoke about Afghan peace process, America’s Afghanistan policy, President Ghani’s legacy and the upcoming elections.
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By: Syed Zafar Mahdi
Afghan-owned peace process only solution to war in Afghanistan
TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) – America’s top military commander in Afghanistan, John Nicholson, sent regional observers into a tizzy with his comments on Monday that the United States was ready to join direct negotiations with the Taliban. He later retracted his statement, apparently under pressure, saying his words were “mischaracterized.”
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By: Syed Zafar Mehdi
After 17 years of ‘wasted effort’ in Afghanistan, no lessons learnt by US
TEHRAN, Jul. 12 (MNA) – After nearly 17 years of war, chaos, mayhem, misery, death and destruction, the United States is seeking peace negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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Iran dismisses claims on training Taliban
TEHRAN, Jul. 04 (MNA) – The Iranian embassy in Kabul issued a statement Wednesday, vehemently rejecting accusations of providing military training to Taliban in Afghanistan, as cited by some Western media.
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By: M. A. Saki
Blaming Iran for Yemenis' sufferings laughable
TEHRAN, Jul. 01 (MNA) – Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, claimed on June 28 that Iran is “prolonging suffering of the Yemeni people” by supporting Houthi rebels.
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Iran welcomes truce extension in Afghanistan
TEHRAN, Jun. 17 (MNA) – Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi welcomed the Afghan government decision to extend truce after Eid al-Fitr holidays in the war-ravaged country.
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UN chief welcomes Afghan-owned peace process
TEHRAN, Jun. 10 (MNA) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the announcement of a three-day partial ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
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Iran’s amb. to Afghanistan:
Taliban attack on Afghan Farah city 'not a war over water '
TEHRAN, May 21 (MNA) – Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan has said that Iran is not worried about constructing ‘Salma Dam’ in Afghanistan, rejecting the claims Iran was involved in Taliban attack on Farah city.
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Airstrikes kill 29 insurgents in S Afghanistan
LASHKARGAH, Mar. 18 (MNA) – At least 29 armed militants were killed during air attacks by Afghan air force in Helmand province, south of Afghanistan, on Saturday, Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement released here on Sunday.
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Afghan forces kill 3 insurgents in northern province
KUNDUZ, Mar. 03 (MNA) – At least three armed insurgents were killed and four others wounded during military operations in Kunduz province, north of Afghanistan, a local official said saturday.