On Friday, the Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, Keumarth Heydari, criticized statements by the Taliban government in Afghanistan regarding Tehran’s plan to close the border between the two countries.
Heydari said in statements during his inspection of the common border between Iran and Afghanistan that others cannot dictate to us their opinions on the issue of closing the border.
According to the official IRNA agency, Heydari pointed out that this procedure is common in the context of enhancing security in all countries, and no one has the right to protest against it.
He explained that the process of closing the border in the northeast of the country, at a distance of 74 km, has already entered the implementation phase, stressing that Iran always respects the principle of good neighborliness and does not pose a threat to neighboring countries.
He pointed out that securing the country permanently is a duty that burdens the armed forces, and achieving this sustainable security is sometimes achieved using drones or surveillance cameras, and at other times through the positioning of forces, and “others do not have the right to decide for us about the actions that we intend to take within our borders.”
Earlier, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban-led Afghan government, said that “no country – including the Islamic Republic of Iran – should be afraid of Afghanistan because it is a country of security and stability.”
He stated that during times of insecurity there was war, and that if Iran had taken this step then, it would have been justified, but there is no need for these measures now.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, border tensions between the two countries have recurred, although most of the incidents have been brought under control and overcome through negotiations.
In addition to border tensions, there have been occasional political disagreements at diplomatic levels regarding the long-standing water crisis, smuggling, and the issue of millions of Afghan refugees to Iran.
