The spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says Kabul is committed to maintaining balanced and constructive relations with all neighboring countries and has actively pursued this policy since returning to power.

Zabihullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate’s relations with most countries in the region remain positive, noting that Afghanistan currently enjoys strong ties with Uzbekistan, Iran, China and Turkmenistan.

He added that relations with Tajikistan are also relatively positive and that efforts are underway to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Speaking about Pakistan, Mujahid said relations between Kabul and Islamabad were initially positive following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, but tensions later emerged due to what he described as “Pakistan’s actions and violations.”

He stressed that the Islamic Emirate was not responsible for initiating the tensions and reiterated Kabul’s desire to maintain good relations with all neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan.

According to Mujahid, diplomatic efforts are continuing to reduce tensions and improve bilateral relations between the two sides.

Meanwhile, political analysts say that although the Islamic Emirate has yet to receive broad formal international recognition, regional cooperation with Afghanistan in trade, transit and economic sectors continues to expand steadily.

Nearly five years after the Islamic Emirate returned to power, Russia remains the only country to have officially recognized the government. Kabul, however, maintains that it has fulfilled the conditions necessary for international recognition, while the international community continues to emphasize issues related to counterterrorism and human rights.

Large numbers of Hajj pilgrims began performing the stoning ritual in Mina from the early hours of the first day of Eid al-Adha, casting seven pebbles at the largest pillar, Jamrat al-Aqaba, amid smooth and orderly movement in line with the approved crowd-management plan.

Pilgrims carried out the ritual in an organised manner across the levels of the Jamarat Bridge, with no overcrowding or pushing reported. Security, medical, ambulance, sanitation, and civil defence teams were fully deployed throughout the area, while security personnel regulated the flow of pilgrims at entrances, exits, and surrounding routes.

Movement toward the Jamarat Bridge and surrounding courtyards remained gradual and well-coordinated, with pilgrims travelling in managed groups distributed across different levels according to the operational plan.

After completing the ritual, they returned smoothly to their accommodation sites, while roads across Mina experienced steady and flexible traffic flow for both vehicles and pedestrians throughout the day.

Careful crowd control

Over the decades, the Hajj pilgrimage has faced several major tragedies, largely linked to crowd crushes, extreme heat, and tent fires during peak rituals. In response, Saudi authorities have invested heavily in expanding infrastructure and improving crowd-management systems to reduce risks and enhance pilgrim safety.

One of the deadliest incidents occurred in 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel in Mina due to overcrowding and ventilation failure.

In 2015, another major disaster struck during the stoning ritual at Jamarat, where at least 2,000 pilgrims were killed in a crowd crush, making it one of the worst incidents in Hajj history.

Extreme weather has also taken a heavy toll. During the 2024 Hajj season, more than 1,300 pilgrims reportedly died amid an intense heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 50°C, leading to widespread cases of heatstroke and dehydration.

Earlier disasters also prompted major safety reforms, including the Mina tent fires of 1975 and 1997.

The 1975 blaze, triggered by a gas cylinder explosion, killed around 200 people, while the 1997 fire claimed more than 340 lives.

Following these incidents, authorities replaced traditional tents with modern fire-resistant structures as part of broader safety upgrades.

Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Defense Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has emphasized the importance of expanding relations with Russia during a meeting with Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council.

This meeting took place on the sidelines of an international security conference in Moscow.

According to details released from the meeting on Wednesday, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, regional security cooperation and the current situation in Afghanistan.

Mujahid described Afghanistan’s relationship with Russia as being of “special importance” and expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow broader, stronger and more comprehensive in the future.

He said Afghanistan continues to face economic and humanitarian challenges following what he described as two decades of U.S. occupation, but added that the Islamic Emirate has made significant progress across multiple sectors since returning to power.

The defense minister stated that the Islamic Emirate has strengthened nationwide security, implemented economic and administrative reforms and achieved political progress within a short period.

Mujahid also said Afghan security forces had made major gains against what he referred to as “seditionist networks,” stressing that security and stability had improved across the country.

The meeting comes amid increasing engagement between Kabul and Moscow, with both sides signaling interest in expanding political, economic and security cooperation.