Abbas Aragchi spoke with Taliban leaders about border tensions, Afghan refugees in Iran and the Helmand River water treaty.
Iran said it hoped to improve economic ties and bilateral relations with Afghanistan, during the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to Kabul in eight years.
Abbas Aragchi, Iran’s foreign minister, spoke with senior Taliban officials in the Afghan capital on Sunday. Discussions focused on ongoing border tensions, the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran and disputes over water rights.
The head of Iranian diplomacy met with Acting Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Abbas Aragchi expressed hope for strengthening economic ties and improving bilateral relations, while recognizing the “ups and downs” relations between the two countries.
In a statement shared by the Taliban, Abbas Aragchi also said Iran was committed to ensuring the return of around 3.5 million Afghan refugees living in Iran.
The Afghan prime minister urged Tehran to treat its refugees with dignity, warning that a large-scale repatriation effort would not be feasible immediately.
He added that incidents such as the reported execution of Afghans in Iran had heightened public tensions.
Although Iran does not officially recognize the Taliban government, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, Tehran maintains political and economic relations with Kabul.
Iran also allowed the Taliban to run the Afghan embassy in Tehran.
