Iranian Minister Claims Borders With Afghanistan Are ‘Calm’
Iran’s interior minister claims the borders with Afghanistan are calm and traffic is normal after recent clashes between the Taliban.
Iran’s interior minister claims the borders with Afghanistan are calm and traffic is normal after recent clashes between the Taliban.
“We warned the Afghan rulers that they should train their forces and be watchful of their acts, otherwise Iran's border guards defend national interests and do not allow anyone to violate the security of borders,” said Ahmad Vahidi on Saturday.
In the past days, there were some issues, but they were dealt with forcefully to maintain security at the borders, said Vahidi who is an ex-IRGC general, wanted by Interpol for his role in the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994.
“Of course, terrorists try to abuse the tensions at borders, but they should be aware that they will be punished for their actions.”
In late May, clashes at the border over water rights claimed the lives of at least two Iranians and one Taliban soldier.
Disputes between Tehran and Kabul have risen over Taliban’s refusal to share the waters of the Helmand River in violation of a 1973 treaty.
Iran's parched eastern regions is seriously threatened if the Taliban prevent water from reaching Iran. Another Iranian official said Saturday that Kabul has agreed to allow Iranian experts examine the water reservoirs inside Afghanistan.
Earlier in May, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Taliban over disregarding Iran's water rights under the 1973 treaty. The Taliban rejected Raisi's apparent threat, with a former Taliban official mocking Raisi in a video that went viral.
Israeli Channel 12 news reported that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met Thursday on the sidelines of NATO meeting in Brussels and reached understandings in the light of an emerging nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington.
In recent weeks, multiple news outlets have reported on direct and indirect US Iranian talks on reducing tensions, a possible interim unwritten agreement to slow down Tehran’s nuclear program and release of Americans held in Iran.
The Biden administration has repeatedly denied any deals with Iran, acknowledging that contacts were made to make clear what US demands were. The latest denial came from Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday during a press conference.
“With regard to Iran, some of the reports that we’ve seen about an agreement on nuclear matters or, for that matter, on detainees are simply not accurate and not true,” Blinken said.
Channel 12 news also quoted senior security officials as saying that cooperation with the United States has increased on the issue of Iran, involving the Israeli Defense forces in joint efforts.
Washington has assured Jerusalem that it will maintain its military edge over Iran, and Austin also made clear to Gallant that in addition to close cooperation over Iran, Israel will maintain a free hand to act against adversaries.
Israel has made clear that if it concludes Iran is close to obtaining nuclear weapons, it will not limit itself by any agreements the United States and others might have reached with Tehran and will take military action to stop what it sees as an existential threat.
Israeli officials and media indicate that some sort of a deal between Washington and Tehran is moving forward and that Israel will accept the general parameters of a possible agreement and will not try to foil it.
Israel’s ambassador in the US Michael Herzog was quoted as saying, “Diplomacy isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” during an event hosted by the Democratic Majority For Israel, according to Haaretz.
“As far as we’re concerned, diplomacy in and of itself, and such understandings, are not necessarily bad to the extent that they can help deescalate a situation,” Herzog said.
Iran has acknowledged diplomatic efforts behind the scenes but has been cautious in heralding any imminent deals.
Nour News, affiliated with the national security council on Friday said the White House is showing "positive signals of changing its approach toward Iran in the past few months".
Regarding reports about a possible nuclear deal, the website did not express optimism, but its claim of positive signals was an indication of some satisfaction at the security council.
‘Reformist’ media in Tehran, critical of the ruling hardliners, continued to argue for flexibility and a deal that would lift crippling US sanctions imposed since 2018 when former President Donald Trump pulled of the 2015 JCPOA accord.
Aftab News close to former President Hassan Rouhani in an article on Saturday recounted the “trillions of dollars” in damages to Iran’s economy resulting from its nuclear dispute with the West over a period of two decades.
Regarding reports about a possible nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, the website did not express optimism, but claimed Washington is giving positive signals.
"As the American media has speculated, one cannot be optimistic about a rapid agreement on issues related to Iran's nuclear matter," added the piece published on Friday.
“However, raising this issue by two American media outlets, which are known for their connection with the US political and security agencies, shows the White House is seeking to convey positive signals and return to the negotiating table, which Iran has never left.”
Nour News also claimed the new US approach is the result of the Islamic Republic's efforts to suppress the nationwide protests, as well as Tehran's decision to revive ties with Riyadh.
Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed Netanyahu for allowing the agreement between Iran and the US to take place, claiming Netanyahu’s inability to influence the Biden Administration is due to the controversial judicial overhaul.
“Despite attempts to call it something else, what the US and Iran are about to sign is a nuclear agreement. It’s the same agreement that they tried to sign during [the Bennett-Lapid] government and we were able to prevent,” the former prime minister noted.
This comes as Israel's ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog said in a speech on Thursday that “diplomacy [with Iran] isn’t necessarily a bad thing”.
In recent days, Axios and the New York Times reported on the talks between Iran and the United States.
The New York Times quoted the officials of the three countries as saying that “the Biden administration has been negotiating quietly with Iran to limit Tehran’s nuclear program and free imprisoned Americans.”
“The US goal is to reach an informal, unwritten agreement, which some Iranian officials are calling a political cease-fire. It would aim to prevent a further escalation in a long-hostile relationship that has grown even more fraught as Iran builds up a stockpile of highly enriched uranium close to bomb-grade purity, supplies Russia with drones for use in Ukraine and brutally cracks down on domestic political protests.”
Axios last week reported that US and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Oman last month with Omani officials shuttling between the two sides and passing messages.
The report also quoted five Israeli lawmakers saying that the mini-agreement includes Iranian commitment not to enrich uranium above the level of 60%, a US willingness to allow for the release of billions of dollars in Iranian funds that are currently frozen, and a prisoner exchange deal.
