Iran on Tuesday voiced concern over escalating tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, warning that continued hostilities could carry consequences beyond the two sides and offering to help defuse the crisis.
Speaking at a weekly news conference, Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Tehran was closely watching the situation and stood ready to facilitate dialogue.
“We are concerned about this situation, and we have reason to be,” Baghaei said. “Both countries are our neighbors and Muslim nations. Any tension or escalation between them will have repercussions beyond these two countries.”
He said Iran’s consistent recommendation was “dialogue, restraint and efforts to resolve differences through diplomatic means,” adding that Tehran had declared its readiness to use its “good offices” to prevent further escalation.
Baghaei expressed hope that “good-faith dialogue” between the Taliban and the government of Pakistan would bring the current crisis to an end.
His remarks came as relations between Islamabad and the Taliban government have sharply deteriorated.
Pakistani officials, including senior security leaders, have repeatedly said the Taliban have harboured TTP fighters in Afghanistan. Taliban have denied the allegations.
Late Saturday night, Pakistani jets bombed areas in the Khogyani, Ghanikhel and Behsud districts of Nangarhar province and in Barmal district of Paktika province, both in eastern Afghanistan. UN mission in Afghanistan says 13 civilians were killed in the airstrikes. Taliban said 18 civilians were killed.
However, Pakistan’s military has claimed that the strikes hit militant compounds and killed nearly 70 “terrorists.”
