Border Crossing Between Iran, Afghanistan Closes Following Tensions

Following a “dispute” between Iranian and Afghan border guards on Saturday, a border crossing was temporarily shut down, Iranian media reported.

Tasnim news agency close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that apparently the disagreement between the two sides emerged when the Taliban wanted to build a road near the border crossing Dogharoon but denied reports about clashes. Tasnim said that Iranian forces and representatives of the Taliban were trying to defuse the situation.

However, the agency also said that cargos at Dogharoon crossing has been moved to a safer distance as precaution.

A video on social media shows an Iranian military vehicle seized by the Taliban as six Iranian border guards are seen standing nearby. A local Taliban official confirmed the seizure, saying the vehicle had entered Afghanistan, Tolo News in Kabul reported.

Some Afghan citizens reported on social media that the reason for the border tension was an attempt by Iran to build two observation posts and a road.

There have been some incidents at the border since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last year. An Iranian foreign ministry official in January said that the reason for an earlier incident of clashes between Iranian forces and the Taliban was lack of professional conduct by the latter.