A political delegation of the Afghan Taliban arrived Tehran , early Tuesday, on the invitation of Iranian Foreign Minister, Muhammad Javad Zarif, to discuss the Afghan peace process. The visit comes days after the new US administration said it will review Afghan peace deal.
Following the visit, a statement was released by Iran’s Foreign Office, revealing that the visit was “part of Tehran’s policy to reach out to key Afghan parties in the Afghan peace process.”
The delegation, led by the head of Taliban’s political wing, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, met significant Iranian officials and is also scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Zarif.
This development comes only days after the Biden administration assured Pakistan of its continued assistance for the “common cause of peace in Afghanistan.” Previously, the new US government had signaled towards reviewing a deal with the Taliban, signed by former President Donald Trump, amid surging violence in Afghanistan in recent months.
President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, spoke with his Afghan counterpart Hamdullah Mohib and “made clear the United States’ intention to review” the deal, revealed National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne.
She further stated that Washington hopes to ensure that the Taliban are “living up to [their] commitments to cut ties with terrorist groups, to reduce violence in Afghanistan, and to engage in meaningful negotiations with the Afghan government and other stakeholders”.
