Iran hosted a high-level meeting on Sunday bringing together Afghanistan’s neighbors and regional powers to exchange views on the country’s ongoing crisis.
The gathering, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, included representatives of Pakistan’s prime minister, envoys of the presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan, and officials from the foreign ministries of China, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Notably, no representatives of the Taliban, Afghanistan’s current rulers, were present.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi opened the session by outlining Tehran’s perspective on Afghanistan and broader South Asian developments. He emphasized that external interventions and imposed solutions have repeatedly failed to deliver stability or sustainable development in Afghanistan, citing NATO’s two-decade military presence and its abrupt withdrawal in 2021 as evidence of failure.
Afghanistan’s internationally recognized government, established after the US-led coalition intervention in 2001, collapsed in 2021 when the Taliban seized power. To date, only Russia has formally recognized the Taliban government, while other countries continue to withhold recognition.
Security, terrorism, migration, and narcotics have long been central concerns for Afghanistan’s neighbors and Western governments alike, prompting numerous international and regional conferences over the past two decades. The Tehran meeting marked the revival of the “neighbors’ format” after a two-year hiatus, convened at a time of heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Araghchi stressed that overreliance on security-driven approaches, disregard for Afghanistan’s social and cultural fabric, and neglect of regional actors have undermined past efforts. “The key lesson is clear: no external blueprint can resolve regional crises. Imported solutions and decisions made outside the region will not bring stability. In contrast, regional approaches hold far greater potential for achieving lasting security and development,” he said.
According to Araghchi, Afghanistan’s neighbors are the most natural and trustworthy partners in seeking solutions to the country’s challenges.
