TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a recent meeting between Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, and Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai in Rome took place at Karzai’s request.
According to a statement published by the ministry and reported by the Iranian news agency, ISNA, the meeting was held as part of Tehran’s regional consultations and its ongoing efforts to monitor developments in Afghanistan.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as Afghanistan’s neighbor and a country that has consistently sought peace and stability there, continues to closely follow the situation and maintains regular contact with both the interim authorities and other prominent Afghan figures,” the statement read.
The ministry added that the meeting with Karzai was part of these ongoing efforts and took place on the sidelines of Araghchi’s official engagements in the Italian capital.
No details about the substance of the conversation were disclosed. However, ISNA cited unnamed sources who characterized the meeting as consistent with Iran’s broader policy of constructive regional engagement regarding Afghanistan.
Karzai, who remained in Kabul after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, has remained an active figure in the country’s political discussions, despite holding no official position.
