Iranian FM says IEA affirm Iran’s rights to Helmand water

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has acknowledged Iran’s right to water from the Helmand River.

In an interview with IRNA, Abdollahian said the Iranian Foreign Ministry engaged in serious discussions with the IEA over the past 18 months on this issue.

He said: “In my recent negotiations with the caretaker of Afghanistan Foreign Ministry, too, I pursued the issue of Iran’s right of the Helmand River.”

Monday’s discussion with IRNA comes a week after Abdollahian tweeted that he discussed the water issue with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi while they were both in Uzbekistan.

“In my recent talks with Mr Muttaqi, acting Foreign Minister of the de facto government of Afghanistan in Samarkand city, we emphasized the issue of Iran’s claim on the Helmand River in detail.”

He continued by saying the Afghan side “also emphasized its commitment to Iran’s water rights,” and both sides “agreed to take immediate action” in this regard, he said in a tweet.

Iran and Afghanistan signed a Helmand River water-sharing agreement in 1973, under which Afghanistan would provide Iran with 22 cubic meters of water per second with the option to purchase an additional four cubic meters per second for “goodwill and brotherly relations.”

Nine months ago, the IEA was adamant that they are committed to Iran’s water rights according to the 1973 treaty and said there will not be a new accord in this regard.

Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Omar, deputy minister of energy and water, said at the time that the ministry is committed to the national interests of the country.

“There will be no new agreement with Iran on water rights. The 1973 treaty is enforceable and it will be pursued,” Omar said.

According to the official, 70 percent of Afghanistan’s waters flow into neighboring countries. He said that work on incomplete dam projects will resume.

“We have plans to manage the country’s waters and we will take steps in this regard. Drought is threatening our country,” Omar said.

Iran has strongly opposed Afghanistan’s damming of its transboundary rivers. It has accused Kabul of denying it of its water rights.