Iran strongly condemns Taliban’s offensive in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley
Tehran, September 07, 2021: Iran on Monday “strongly” condemned the Taliban’s military offensive against resistance fighters in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley as the Islamist group claimed it had taken control of the area.
“The news coming from Panjshir is truly worrying,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters. “The assault is strongly condemned,” reported AFP.
The region’s dominant Muslim Shiite power, Iran had until now refrained from criticising the Taliban since the Sunni group seized Kabul on August 15.
The Taliban on Monday claimed victory in Panjshir, the last Afghan province to fall under the control of the Taliban. However, the resistance forces immediately denied the claim, saying that their leader Ahmad Massoud would soon make a statement.
“On the question of Panjshir, I have insisted on the fact that it be resolved by dialogue in the presence of all the Afghan elders,” Khatibzadeh said.
“The Taliban must equally respect their obligations in terms of international law, and their commitments,” he added, affirming that “Iran will work to put an end to all the suffering of the Afghan people in favour of establishing a representative government for all Afghans,” as quoted by AFP.
Also issuing a strong warning to Pakistan over its involvement in the Panjshir operation in Afghanistan, Iran’s foreign ministry said Afghanistan is not a country that would accept an enemy or an aggressor on its soil.
Khatibzadeh said, “We would like to inform our friends, and those who might make the strategic error of entering Afghanistan with different intentions, that Afghanistan is not a country which accepts the enemy or an aggressor on its soil.”
The Taliban backed by Pakistan Air Force, earlier today launched a major offensive in Panjshir Valley which led to the death of several top leaders of the resistance forces including NRF spokesperson Fahim Dashty and Ahmad Massoud’s nephew General Sahib Abdul Wudod Zara.
