WATER POLITICS

An Iranian delegation is on a visit to Kabul to hold talks with the Taliban officials on different issues, including water rights issues, an official said.

According to Iranian media outlets, Naser Kenani, the spokesperson of Iran’s Ministry of foreign affairs, said in a press conference on Monday that different issues, including water rights, were discussed. The report showed that 11 member delegation from Tehran had visited Afghanistan to follow up on the matter.

“As two neighbouring countries, there are exchanges between us at different levels, and the media do not necessarily cover the exchange of delegations. We have various issues with Afghanistan, and the issue of water is one of the issues that we pay serious attention to,” Kenani said, ILNA news agency reported.

Despite previous Kanaani’s announcement that initial deals had been made with the Taliban addressing the water rights issues, a delegation from Iran is currently visiting Afghanistan.

Following Tehran’s accusations of the Taliban for not upholding the country’s water rights based on the 1973 water treaty between Kabul and Tehran, tensions between Afghanistan and Iran over water rights from the Helmand River have risen.

Taliban members have received many warnings from Islamic Republic officials, including the president, to respect Iran’s water rights. The Taliban dispatched military forces to the two countries’ borders due to escalated tensions between the two sides.