Calm returns to Afghan-Iran border area
Calm has returned to the Islam-Qaleh border area between Iran and Afghanistan following tensions in recent days, the acting defense ministry of the Taliban government in Afghanistan announced on Monday.
The area, located west of Afghanistan’s Herat Province, was closed on Saturday after tensions rose between border guards of the two countries.
The tensions began after Iranian border guards prevented the construction of a road in the Islam-Qaleh area by the Afghans.
A spokesman for the Taliban acting defense ministry said, “the policy of the ministry is clear. We are not and will not be indifferent to our borders. The tensions broke out because of a misunderstanding which has now been resolved.”
Local sources say the construction of the road has been suspended for now, and Afghan and Iranian representatives are due to hold talks on the issue.
In the meantime, Hassan kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan said that the Afghan border guards had embarked on constructing a road in the Islam-Qaleh border area without prior coordination.