Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that it has not received any formal instructions regarding a visit by President Masoud Pezeshkian to Afghanistan, despite the president himself expressing interest in opening a new chapter in ties with the Taliban-led administration in Kabul.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, “There is currently no official plan communicated to us for a presidential visit to Afghanistan.” He emphasized that the government’s recent statements reflected Iran’s ongoing commitment to “good-neighborly relations and brotherhood” with Afghanistan.
The clarification came after Pezeshkian publicly stated during a recent meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials that he is ready to visit Kabul. In the meeting, the newly elected president said strengthening ties with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, is a top foreign policy priority.
“It will take extra effort, but we can improve our relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and the Gulf states,” Pezeshkian said.
He framed the outreach as part of a broader strategy to circumvent international sanctions and counter regional insecurity.
“If we build strong relations with our neighbors, the sanctions imposed on us will no longer have the same effect,” he added.
Although Pezeshkian did not provide a timeline for such a visit, his remarks were widely interpreted as the strongest signal yet of Iran’s intent to engage more directly with Taliban authorities—despite the fact that Tehran has not formally recognized the Taliban administration.
If realized, the visit would mark the first by a sitting head of state to Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in August 2021.
When asked directly about Iran’s position on recognizing the Taliban, Baghaei reiterated that no decision has been made.
“Whenever we reach a conclusion, we will announce it,” he said.
Tehran has hosted multiple Taliban delegations and maintained diplomatic channels but continues to stop short of formal recognition, aligning with most of the international community in its call for a more inclusive government in Kabul.
Baghaei also addressed a recent phone call between Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister. He described the conversation as part of Iran’s ongoing diplomacy surrounding the Gaza crisis.
“The Foreign Ministry is working to generate momentum—at the very least within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation—for a legal mechanism to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” Baghaei said.
Iran has been outspoken in its condemnation of Israeli attacks in Gaza and is pushing for coordinated diplomatic and legal responses at the regional level.
