Afghan Border Secure After Deadly Taliban Attack

The Iranian interior minister said tensions eased on the eastern border with Afghanistan and the area is now secure after a deadly attack by Taliban forces on Saturday.
Ahmad Vahidi made the remarks days after two Iranian border guards were killed as heavily-armed Taliban forces opened fire at a border post in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan Province in violation of international law.
“We do not have any problem at the moment. The border point is in peace and open to traffic,” he said, IRNA reported.
“There was a shooting by Afghan border guards, and naturally, we delivered a due response,” he explained.
The interior minister also noted that the brief clashes ended and that negotiations were held with the Taliban in this regard.
During a visit to Sistan-Baluchestan on Sunday, Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Force Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari warned that the Islamic Republic will change its approach if Afghanistan fails to respect international regulations and the principles of good neighborliness.
He said that the border areas with Afghanistan are under complete control of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces.
In August 2021, the Taliban managed to seize power after making sweeping advances across Afghanistan in the midst of a messy withdrawal of US-led foreign forces as well as the rapid collapse of the country’s security forces.
Iran says it does not recognize the ruling administration in Kabul, underlining the need for the formation of an inclusive Afghan government.
Recently, the lasting water dispute between Iran and Afghanistan has once again come into the spotlight. Afghanistan’s non-compliance with the 1973 water-sharing treaty and denying Iran its water rights under the pact have heightened tensions between Tehran and Kabul.
Over the past few weeks, high-ranking Iranian officials have urged the de-facto Taliban government in Kabul to adopt an effective measure to address the long-lasting issue by providing Iran its due share of water from the Hirmand River Basin.
Water scarcity is taking a heavy toll on Iran’s southwestern region by harming its agriculture and water bodies.
Iran’s deputy head of the national police force, Qassem Rezaei, who traveled to Sistan-Baluchestan Province, said on Sunday that there was evidence showing the Taliban initiated the clashes.
“As a military and security body, we have plans to defend and protect borders so that the Iranian people will live in full security,” Rezaei stated.
The Iranian police official placed a premium on employing drones as deterrence to ensure Iran’s border security.
On Sunday, Director General of Road Maintenance and Transportation of Sistan-Baluchestan Ayyoub Kord said trade exchange at the Milak border checkpoint had resumed after a day of suspension.
Iran had stopped trade with Afghanistan at the border checkpoint “until further notice,” Kord said Saturday.