Islam Times - US to Blame for Sufferings of Afghans: Iran’s FM

Islam Times - Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the United States is responsible for the suffering and pain of the Afghan people, calling for an inclusive government to be established in the country.

Iran’s top diplomat made the remarks in a Thursday meeting with the visiting Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Tehran as the two sides discussed bilateral relations and the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.

“The United States is responsible for the pain and suffering of the people of Afghanistan,” Iran’s foreign minister said.

Amir-Abdollahian added, “The current situation could only lead to stability through the establishment of an inclusive government representing all Afghan groups.”

He also underlined Iran’s stance on the necessity of strengthening dialog among regional countries.

For his part, Al Thani conveyed top Qatari officials’ greetings and wished success for Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raeisi, and his administration.

“The State of #Qatar believes in the effectiveness of having a unified vision to ensure a comprehensive solution for #Afghanistan,” he wrote on his Twitter page after the meeting.

Qatar has been acting as a mediator between different groups as the situation in Afghanistan unraveled. The Persian Gulf country hosted talks between the US and the Taliban that concluded in 2020 with a US troop withdrawal agreement.

During their meeting, the two foreign ministers also discussed bilateral issues, including the need to accelerate the issuance of business visas and facilitate the travels of traders and the private sector.

Amir-Abdollahian and Al Thani exchanged views about holding a joint commission for cooperation between the two countries in the near future as well as Iran’s cooperation with Qatar in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

‘US must account for growth of terrorism in Afghanistan under its occupation’

On Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian, along with foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, took part in a virtual meeting to discuss the latest developments following the Taliban’s takeover of the country and the withdrawal of US-led forces.

Noting that Iran’s priority was the establishment of peace and calm in Afghanistan through the formation of an all-inclusive government, Iran’s top diplomat told participants in the meeting that the United States is the main party responsible for the current instability and chaos in the war-torn country.

“America is the main party responsible for the situation that prevailed in Afghanistan during the past two decades and it must be held to account before the people of Afghanistan as well as the region and the world’s public opinion about why … terrorism grew [under its occupation] in Afghanistan,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

“Americans claim to have spent USD 2.6 trillion [in Afghanistan]. Why has its result been nothing but poverty, instability and insecurity in Afghanistan in addition to untoward consequences of this erroneous US policy for neighboring countries?”

The foreign minister stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is still pursuing the formation of an all-inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic groups, expressing hope that the Taliban would live up to their promises.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran underlines that war must be superseded by dialog in Afghanistan, and that the use of military means instead of dialog would worry the Afghan people,” he remarked.

The top Iranian diplomat further voiced Tehran’s readiness to do all in its power to advance the intra-Afghan talks.

Hinting at the rapidly evolving developments in Afghanistan, Amir-Abdollahian said it was necessary for the neighboring countries to be in close and constant consultations over the issue.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is seriously concerned about the growth of insecurity and terrorism in Afghanistan,” he said, adding, “During the talks, we should seek a mechanism to reduce and eliminate this serious concern that has affected the security of each and every [regional] country.”