The continued interference of the United States in Afghanistan's internal affairs will further complicate the situation in the country, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated on Monday during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Roza Otunbayeva.
"Continued targeted intervention by the United States in Afghanistan's internal affairs will exacerbate the situation in the country," Abdollahian's words were quoted in a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry following the talks held in Tehran. The statement was published on the ministry's Telegram channel. The minister pointed to the "destructive role that the U.S. has played in Afghanistan during its years of presence in the country." The diplomat also urged the UN to "seriously address" the issue of housing several million Afghan refugees in Iran.
The head of Iranian diplomacy added that Tehran "highly appreciates the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan over the past two decades and supports the continuation of the mission's humanitarian activities." In February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that he would begin consultations on appointing a Special Envoy for Afghanistan in addition to the existing position of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the country, currently held by Otunbayeva.
According to Guterres, the tasks of the new UN Special Envoy will include promoting intra-Afghan dialogue and coordinating the interaction of the radical Taliban movement (banned in Russia), which is in power in Afghanistan, with the international community. According to Afghan media, Iran, China, and Russia have expressed doubts about the necessity of creating a new position. The Taliban opposed Guterres' proposal, as the movement believes the new envoy might attempt to impose certain solutions on Afghanistan.
After the US announced in spring 2021 its decision to withdraw its armed forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban launched a large-scale operation to take control of the country. On August 15 of the same year, the radicals entered Kabul without a fight, and on September 7, they announced the composition of an interim government, the legitimacy of which has not yet been officially recognized by any country.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: sipo/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS