Iran's Interior Minister Plays Down Border Conflict With Taliban

Two days after the deadly clash on the Iran-Afghanistan border, Iran's Interior Minister described the incident as a "brief conflict".

Ahmad Vahidi said Monday that "the issue was resolved after negotiations were held with the Taliban," playing down the severity of the clash.

"There was a cross-border shooting by the Afghan border guards, and naturally, they were given an appropriate response."

"Currently, there is no problem, and the border is open and in peace," added Vahidi.

Clashes at the border on Saturday over water rights claimed the lives of at least two Iranians and one Taliban soldier. According to a report by Iranian reformist daily newspaper Ham-Mihan, about 50 Iranians have been killed in border regions since 2020.

Despite Tehran’s claims that the clashes are over, and the situation is in control, Taliban sources have released videos of capturing an outpost inside Iran.

Earlier, Abolfazl Zohrevand, the former ambassador of Iran in Kabul, described the conflict as "a serious war" in an interview with Entekhab website saying that the conflict could be resumed.

On Sunday, Qasem Rezaei, deputy commander of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces and Kiumars Heydari, the Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, traveled to Sistan-Baluchestan province bordering Afghanistan to probe the situation.

Disputes between Tehran and Kabul have risen over the Taliban’s obstruction of Iran's access to Helmand River water in violation of a 1973 treaty.

Iran has accused Afghanistan's Taliban of violating a 1973 treaty by restricting the flow of water from the Helmand River to Iran's parched eastern regions, an accusation denied by the Taliban.