Afghan Deputy PM Baradar holds talks with Iranian president in Tehran

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Economic Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual cooperation.

According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the Afghan official extended condolences to the Iranian government and people over the death of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before holding talks on strengthening ties between the two neighboring countries.

Baradar said Afghanistan and Iran share deep historical, cultural, and economic links and have significant common interests in various fields. He also reiterated the Islamic Emirate’s position on the recent US-Israeli attacks on Iran, describing them as illegitimate and stating that the Afghan government had condemned the strikes.

For his part, Pezeshkian highlighted the close and friendly relations between the two nations and said both governments should make full use of existing opportunities for the benefit of their peoples.

The Iranian president described the expansion of relations with Afghanistan as a key priority for his administration and stressed the importance of utilizing all available capacities to deepen bilateral cooperation.