RASC News Agency: The “Islamic Republic” newspaper, reflecting the official stance of the Iranian government, sharply criticized President Pezhman’s administration in its editorial on Sunday, September 1, accusing it of neglecting the Afghanistani refugee crisis. The editorial contends that the 12th and 13th administrations allowed the “terrorist Taliban group” to seize Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions in Iran. The article further asserts that these concessions were granted to the Taliban despite their inaction on Iran’s water rights and their continued “oppression of Persian-speaking communities” and “Shia Muslims.” The editorial argues that by keeping the borders open to “Afghanistani nationals,” the 13th administration enabled the Taliban to infiltrate tens of thousands of armed fighters into Iran.
The newspaper claims, “The Taliban have exploited these facilities to bring tens of thousands of their trained operatives into Iran, establishing themselves in various regions. These individuals are even armed and have already committed numerous crimes in cities and even villages across our country. Many of those involved in bombings and assassinations, such as those in Kerman, Mashhad, and the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz, belong to this very group, although official channels, for misguided reasons, have refrained from acknowledging this reality.”
The newspaper urges President Pezhman’s administration to confront “this threat,” stating, “Even more perilous is the fact that the Taliban consider Iranians as infidels and believe it is obligatory to kill them. There is also a significant demographic threat looming over the country.” The editorial warns that the 14th administration has now inherited this severe problem and must urgently act to counter the dangers it poses. Addressing this threat is a serious demand from the public, who are anxious about a potential recurrence of incidents like that of Mahmoud, an Afghanistani citizen targeted by the Taliban. The editorial suggests that the 14th administration could leverage political tools to tackle this threat, such as expelling illegal immigrants, closely monitoring those with legal status, revoking political and commercial privileges granted to the Taliban, and treating this group as an unrecognized and illegitimate government. Moreover, it calls for an immediate and thorough reevaluation of the personnel at the Iranian embassy in Kabul.
“The Islamic Republic” occasionally publishes such articles that question Iran’s official policies towards the Taliban. In response, the Taliban dismiss such criticisms, consistently portraying the Iranian government as their regional ally. Meanwhile, certain conservative and extremist figures within the Iranian government continue to support and back the Taliban.
