Interior Minister:
Enemies Seeking to Divide Iran, Afghanistan
TEHRAN - Iran’s Interior
Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Tuesday warned that attacks on Iranian diplomatic missions in Afghanistan were aimed at fomenting discord between the two neighbors.
“Some are seeking to divide Iran and Afghanistan, and this is the enemy’s planning,” Vahidi explained.
Referring to the long history and good relations between the two nations, Vahidi noted: “Iran has always been a good host for Afghan refugees and the actions of some individuals in Herat and Kabul are unacceptable… Afghan officials should take care of these issues.”
His comments come a day after groups of Afghans attacked the Iranian Embassy in Kabul and the Iranian Consulate in Heart and pelted the buildings with rocks. They were angered by unverified videos purporting to show Afghan refugees being beaten in Iran.
Tehran says the images are baseless and invalid and aimed at harming the historical relations between the two countries.
Iran Reminds Taliban of Responsibility for Security of Diplomatic Sites
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to strongly protest against attacks on the Iranian embassy in Kabul and the country’s consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Herat.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires was also notified that all consular sections of Iran’s missions in Afghanistan have suspended their services until further notice.
Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, the head of the South Asia Department at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, reminded the Afghan charge d’affaires of the responsibility of governments in ensuring the security of diplomatic missions and called for legal proceedings against those attacking Iran’s diplomatic missions.
All missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran across Afghanistan will resume their services once Afghanistan ensures their security, Mousavi said.
A day earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh warned against plots by “certain ill-wishers of Iran and Afghanistan” to draw a wedge between people of the other country.
Khatibzadeh emphasized that Afghanistan’s acting Taliban government is definitely responsible for safeguarding and protecting the security of foreign diplomatic missions.
“Complete security of the embassy and other diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Herat and other Afghan cities must be maintained and the necessary guarantees for the safe operation of these missions must be given,” the Iranian spokesperson added.
The Iranian government and people have been hospitable to the Afghan people for decades, hosting some 3.6 million documented and undocumented Afghan refugees who left their country due to war and harsh living conditions.
Over 300,000 more refugees have entered Iran since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August last year. This is at a time when the Iranian nation is facing unilateral U.S. sanctions and the international humanitarian bodies are keeping silent on such inhumane bans.
Iran has called for a boost to international humanitarian efforts for Afghanistan on various occasions, criticizing the international community for insufficient aid for the refugees given the wave of displaced Afghans heading toward Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, should play a more active role inside Afghanistan and help reduce the inflow of refugees through aid efforts.
Currently, more than 520,000 foreign students, including Afghan students, are studying for free in Iran. Furthermore, Iran’s COVID-19 vaccination drive has also included Afghan refugees alongside Iranians.
The Islamic Republic, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan, currently hosts over five million Afghan refugees. Some sources put the number at 8 million, given the influx of Afghan refugees into Iran following the Taliban takeover last August.