Iran has once again voiced concern over ongoing tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urging both sides to resolve disputes through dialogue.
According to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Araghchi raised the issue in separate phone calls with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
“In conversations with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the Iranian side welcomed efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and emphasized the need for expanded consultations to safeguard regional peace and stability,” the statement read.
The appeal comes amid a surge in tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban. Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of harboring militants responsible for recent suicide attacks on their soil.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that two deadly suicide bombings—in Islamabad and Wana, South Waziristan—were carried out by Afghan nationals and orchestrated from within Afghanistan.
“Our findings indicate that both attackers were Afghan citizens and the attacks were planned from Afghan territory,” Naqvi said. “How can we negotiate with a party that sends suicide bombers to Islamabad? These talks are meaningless under such circumstances.”
Separately, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information claimed that the assault on a military academy in Wana was also launched from Afghanistan, and that the attackers used American-made weapons. The statement alleged that Afghan nationals were among the militants involved.
Earlier, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations alleged that extremist groups including ISIS-K, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and factions with alleged ties to India were exploiting U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Analyst Bismillah Taban said many such weapons were seized from Afghan army depots after the Taliban’s takeover and may have been transferred or sold to anti-state groups operating across the border.
“After the fall of the republic, TTP and other militant groups accessed weapon stockpiles of the former Afghan army,” Taban said. “Some of these arms were later sold to factions now posing threats inside Pakistan.”
Tensions between Islamabad and Taliban have spiked recently after the collapse of talks between the two sides in Istanbul.
Rights groups and refugees say Pakistani police have intensified house raids and mass detentions, while property owners have reportedly been instructed not to rent to Afghan nationals.
