The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran would have “long-term negative consequences” for the region, as hostilities continued to escalate.
In a statement, the ministry expressed what it called “deep regret” over the attacks on Iran, which it said were initiated by Israel and the United States and later expanded with Iran’s retaliatory strikes, including against Gulf countries.
The ministry said violations of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security — as well as the killing of civilians — should be condemned. It called on all parties involved to immediately halt military operations and resolve their differences through diplomatic means to prevent further escalation.
The statement came as exchanges of fire between Iran, Israel and the United States continued following confirmation that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in joint US-Israeli strikes.
Israeli officials said their forces had targeted central Tehran, while Iranian authorities said they had launched missiles at US military installations in the Gulf and at parts of Israel. Casualty figures and damage assessments remained unclear.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and cleric Ali Reza Arafi had formed a temporary three-member council to carry out the duties of the supreme leader until a successor is chosen.
