Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the ambassador and special representative of Iran to Afghanistan, said that Tehran’s cooperation with the caretaker government of Afghanistan in ensuring border security and combating terrorism and drug trafficking is ongoing.
In an interview with an Iranian media outlet, Kazemi Qomi also mentioned that the implementation of the plan to fence its borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan has begun, and this project is progressing.
The ambassador and special representative of the Iranian president in Afghanistan added: “The General Staff of the Armed Forces, with the help of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army, has initiated the physical closure of the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, due to the extensive length of this wall construction, it will take some time. In any case, security plans at the border are currently underway, and cooperation with the caretaker government of Afghanistan is one of them.”
Earlier, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said that the implementation of the border closure project with Afghanistan is Iran’s right and that this project is being carried out with the agreement and coordination of the Islamic Emirate.
A number of military and political analysts believe that finding ways to reach an understanding will not only resolve the challenges between Afghanistan and Iran but also expand the relations between the two countries.
“Choosing the path of understanding can solve all the problems between Afghanistan and Iran. Iran is currently moving towards resolving every issue with the Islamic Emirate through dialogue,” Aziz Stanekzai, a military affairs analyst, told TOLOnews.
“Both countries have a responsibility to resolve issues that meet global and regional standards through dialogue and understanding,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, another political affairs analyst.
Iranian officials had previously stated that the border closures in Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Sistan, and Baluchestan would be completed within three years, and Iran has allocated $3 billion to its armed forces for the execution of the border closure project.