Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed senior political officials to step up efforts to secure Iran’s water rights from Afghanistan, amid growing concerns over reduced water flows.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said at an event in Tehran that Iran and Turkmenistan are entitled to water from the Harirod River, but Afghanistan, as an upstream country, has constructed the Salma Dam, making negotiations necessary to ensure Iran’s share from the dam.

“Yesterday, the president directed the country’s political authorities to be more active on this issue,” Aliabadi said.

He noted that despite numerous rounds of talks with Afghanistan, Iran failed to receive its full water entitlement last year. However, he expressed optimism that improved rainfall this year could help address the shortfall.

Aliabadi said discussions with Afghan officials are ongoing, adding that he has invited Afghan representatives to visit Iran twice and has is ready to extend a third invitation. He also said Iran is prepared to send a delegation to Afghanistan to pursue the matter closely.

Iranian officials have repeatedly voiced concerns over water rights shared with Afghanistan, particularly amid prolonged drought and declining river flows.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has maintained that it remains committed to the water treaty governing the Helmand River, but says severe drought has significantly reduced water volumes.

Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday proposed a potential security agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying such a deal could be game-changing for relations between the two neighboring countries.

In a post on X, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s military spokesperson Sharif Chaudhry had referred to the Doha Agreement between the United States and the IEA, noting that it was a misunderstanding to suggest the accord addressed Afghanistan–Pakistan issues. Khalilzad emphasized that the Doha Agreement did not cover bilateral relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

However, he said the reference sparked an important idea: a separate agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan focused on mutual security concerns. According to Khalilzad, such an agreement would commit both sides to preventing any individual or group — including Daesh and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — from using their territories to threaten the security of the other country. He added that third-party monitoring could help ensure compliance.

Khalilzad said that based on his recent discussions with IEA leaders, he believes they are willing to negotiate such an agreement. He described the proposal as potentially “game-changing” for relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have long been strained by security disputes and militant activity.

“The ball is in Pakistan’s court,” Khalilzad said, suggesting that progress now depends on Islamabad’s willingness to engage.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have faced repeated tensions in recent years, particularly over militant attacks and accusations that militant groups operate from each other’s territory.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, in response to recent remarks by the spokesperson of the Pakistan army made during a press conference regarding Afghanistan’s governmental and social structure, stated that his remarks are not only unrelated to reality but also clearly contradict the stance and standards expected of a responsible military.

Mujahid said in a statement that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns such irresponsible and provocative statements and urges the relevant Pakistani institutions, instead of stepping outside the framework of official positions and fueling illogical propaganda against Afghanistan, to focus on addressing their own internal problems.

According to Mujahid, Afghanistan is an independent and stable country with a strong security structure and a capable leadership, exercising full sovereignty over its entire territory.

“We emphasize that any statements or threatening language interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs are completely unacceptable to the Afghan nation,” he added.

He stressed that IEA calls on the relevant Pakistani institutions to adopt a responsible approach and measured statements, considering the sensitivity of relations between the two countries.

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistan Army, said on Tuesday at a press conference that Pakistan’s main focus in 2025 was on security issues, particularly counter-terrorism.

He referred to the Doha Agreement between the United States and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, noting that the agreement stipulated that Afghan territory should not be used for terrorism. However, he claimed that terrorist groups and banned organizations are currently present in Afghanistan.

This comes while the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups on Afghan soil.