Taliban said Friday that Iran is ready to act as a mediator between them and Pakistan, citing comments by Reza Bahrami, Iran’s South Asia affairs official, in a meeting in Kabul.
According to a Taliban statement, Bahrami told Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s refugees minister, that Iran is prepared to help resolve disputes between Islamabad and Kabul. He also said that Iran plans to issue 200,000 work visas to Afghan citizens.
The statement added that the two sides also discussed migration issues and recent regional developments, and that Iranian officials may visit Kabul to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties. Abdul Kabir said he would present a plan to Tehran to address challenges facing Afghan returnees in Iran.
This comes amid some of the bloodiest border clashes over the past week between Taliban forces and Pakistani security forces. The UN Assistance mission in Afghanistan reported at least 37 people have been killed and 425 wounded in the hostilities. Sources have said a Taliban delegation will travel to Doha to negotiate an end to escalating violence.
Over recent months, Iran has resumed large-scale deportations of Afghan migrants. According to the Taliban’s commission on migrants, between 500 and 1,000 Afghans are being expelled from Iran daily.
