KABUL, Afghanistan — Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, is scheduled to visit Iran in the coming days for high-level talks on regional tensions, bilateral relations, and the deportation of Afghan migrants — a trip approved by the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to a Taliban Foreign Ministry source.
The visit will mark Muttaqi’s third official trip to Iran since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The agenda is expected to include discussions on political cooperation, the fate of Afghan refugees in Iran, and broader regional developments.
Despite repeated public calls for the Taliban to form an inclusive government, Iran has maintained steady diplomatic relations with the group. Tehran has hosted Taliban delegations and continued bilateral talks on security and trade, even as it has occasionally expressed dissatisfaction — particularly over Afghanistan’s water share from the Helmand River.
Two Taliban sources told Amu that although Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, had extended a formal invitation to Muttaqi, Akhundzada has not granted permission for a visit to Islamabad.
As preparations for the Tehran trip continue, some Afghans are voicing frustration over growing regional engagement with the Taliban. In Kabul, citizens criticized neighboring countries and the international community for prioritizing political interests over human rights.
“The Taliban have stripped women of their most basic rights,” said a Kabul resident. “How can countries continue to legitimize them while ignoring our suffering?”
Since returning to power, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women, including bans on education, employment, and public life. Despite international condemnation, they have rejected proposals for political pluralism or reform.
Iran has repeatedly called for the formation of a broad-based government in Kabul, but Taliban leaders have dismissed the proposals as foreign interference. Still, diplomatic engagement between Tehran and the Taliban has continued, underscoring the complex, pragmatic ties between the two governments.
