Iran and Afghanistan’s common border crossings closed on Monday and will remain shut until July 23, according to the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
“The five-day closure has been announced by the Afghan side due to the annual Eid al-Adha ceremonies and has nothing to do with the Taliban’s recent control of the customs terminals,” Rouhollah Latifi was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying.
Latifi asked traders to avoid sending cargo to the three border crossings of Mahirood (known as Sheikh Abu Nasar Farahi on the Afghan side), Dogharoon (Islam Qala) and Milak (Zaranj).
Eid al-Adha, known as Eid-e-Ghorban (Feast of Sacrifice), commemorates the day when Prophet Abraham (PBUH) received the divine command to sacrifice his son but upon witnessing his true devotion, he was instructed by God to offer an animal instead. It is marked by celebrations across the Muslim world.
Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces led to closure of Dogharoon terminal. Iran and the Taliban plan to reopen the border crossing to let traders continue export-import to resolve people’s problems in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Times reported.
Mohammad Taghi Hashemi, head of foreign nationals department in Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province was quoted by BBC Dari as saying that Islam Qala border crossing would probably reopen and renormalize activities within the next few days.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted as saying that he hoped the Islam Qala border crossing would reopen so that “the merchandise is not held behind the border points and businessmen do not suffer loss”.
The Islam Qala crossing border in western Herat Province was closed by Iranian side after the Taliban took control of the area. It is border point with Iran’s Tayebad area in Khorasan.
Mujahid said that the two sides want the border crossing to resume “ordinary activities” in Islam Qala. The two sides will let export and import be done normally under the law, he said.
“The need of the Afghan people and local residents in the border areas requires that the Islam Qala-Dogharoon crossing point have stable activities,” Hashemi said, and added that security at the border point was “good since Taliban took control” of the border crossing.
The official said Iranian trucks held up on the Afghan side when the Taliban captured Islam Qala crossed the border and returned home “without any problems.”
Hashemi said he was waiting for official permission from Tehran for the reopening despite Taliban’s readiness to reopen it soon.
Islam Qala is a key border crossing in Afghanistan and its closure seriously affects the price of goods in the war-ravaged country because significant amounts of goods are imported from Iran.
Meanwhile Abu Nasr Farahi is also under Taliban control. The crossing reopened on July 10 soon after temporary closure due to the renewed inter-Afghan fighting.
The insurgent group also controls the Gholam Khan border port with Pakistan, Sher Khan port with Tajikistan and Torghundi port with Turkmenistan.
