TEHRAN -- The influx of Afghan refugees to Iran cannot continue considering the country’s limited capacities, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Monday, calling on the Taliban to take responsibility in this regard.
Saeed Khatibzadeh pointed to a new wave of Afghan refugees that Iran has been facing in recent months.
“The wave of the displaced persons entering Iran cannot continue and the burden of responsibility cannot fall on a single neighbor. No matter how much effort Iran makes, our capacities are limited,” the spokesman added.
He pointed to the generous hospitality that Iran has provided to Afghans for more than four decades, saying the refugees have enjoyed the same subsidies and services that Iranian citizens are provided with.
Denouncing attempts to devalue Iran’s assistance and foment Iranophobia in Afghanistan, Khatibzadeh said social media were being used to distort realities.
He also deplored mischievous moves inside Iran with the purpose of inciting phobia about Afghans, stressing that the Iranian and Afghan nations are close friends.