KABUL — Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, met Thursday with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss bilateral relations, Afghan migrants in Iran, and the long-standing water dispute over the Helmand River, according to a statement from the Taliban-run foreign ministry.
The meeting, held in Kabul, was described by the ministry in a post on X as part of ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two neighbors. Muttaqi expressed optimism about the trajectory of relations between Tehran and the Taliban, saying both sides should “make full use of the available opportunities.”
For his part, Bahrami reportedly underscored the importance of managing bilateral ties responsibly and signaled a desire to open “a new chapter” in relations between the two governments.
The meeting comes amid growing tensions over Iran’s deportation of Afghan migrants, a policy Tehran says is driven by worsening domestic economic conditions. Human rights groups have criticized the deportations, citing reports of mistreatment and a lack of due process.
The Helmand River water dispute also remains a source of friction. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban of restricting water flow in violation of a 1973 treaty, while Taliban leaders claim they are abiding by the terms and blame water shortages on drought and outdated infrastructure.
Diplomatic exchanges between the Taliban and Iran have increased in recent months, despite Tehran’s refusal to formally recognize the Taliban-led government.
