Mujahid: Afghanistan–Iran Relations Official and Uninterrupted

After Alireza Bikdeli, Acting Head of Iran’s Embassy in Kabul, told that there are no obstacles to the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and that the matter could be realized soon, discussions about the future of formal relations between Kabul and Tehran have entered a new phase.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, emphasized that relations between Afghanistan and Iran are already official and continue without interruption. According to him, diplomatic and economic interactions between the two countries have made notable progress in recent years.

Mujahid said: “Afghanistan–Iran interactions are currently official and uninterrupted; both diplomatically and economically, the two countries have achieved good progress. If formal recognition is announced, it would further improve the situation.”

He added that an official declaration of recognition would further strengthen mutual trust and bilateral cooperation, and that Kabul seeks recognition from all countries and the public continuation of existing engagements.

“We want all countries to recognize Afghanistan and make their interactions with Afghanistan open and official,” Mujahid stated.

Meanwhile, political analysts say Afghanistan–Iran relations are not limited to the diplomatic sphere, but also encompass economic, transit, energy, migration, and border trade sectors.

Samiullah Ahmadzai, a political analyst, said: “The more trust that is built between the Islamic Emirate and Iran, the stronger relations will become. Even now, interactions are expanding.”

Idris Mohammadi Zazi, another political analyst, added: “Iran should further strengthen its relations with Afghanistan and can, in the future, pursue an economy-centered policy in its engagement with Afghanistan.”

Over the past decades, Afghanistan–Iran relations have consistently been a mixture of cooperation and challenges. Iran was among the first countries to keep its embassy active in Kabul after the political developments of 2021 and to continue diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Emirate.

Although Tehran has not yet formally recognized the Islamic Emirate, political, economic, and consular relations between the two countries have continued without interruption.