Connect with us

Latest News

Lavrov, Aragchi: Afghanistan situation of particular interest to both Russia and Iran

Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan

Published

on

lavrov and aragchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that developments in Afghanistan are of particular importance to both countries. 

He also emphasized that Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan.

Lavrov said after meeting with Aragchi that the two diplomats discussed the success of the economic forum held in Iran in January “and discussed our relations with Afghanistan, with which we cooperate in a variety of formats, including the Moscow Format and a meeting between the countries neighbouring Afghanistan and the Big Four that includes China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.”

Lavrov was in Iran Tuesday for consultations with high-ranking Iranian officials. 

Lavrov’s Iranian counterpart, Aragchi said the Afghanistan situation has been of close interest to both countries over the years. 

“The developments in Afghanistan are of interest to us and Russia. Our talks have always continued in this regard, and we intend to consult each other more on this issue,” he said.
 
Experts have highlighted the role of Iran and Russia in Afghanistan’s foreign policy as important, saying that Kabul’s good relations with neighboring countries and the region can be constructive for the future of Afghanistan.
Although Russia and Iran have not yet recognized the Islamic Emirate, they have maintained close relations with the Islamic Emirate government. 

Tehran has consistently emphasized resolving the issue of Afghanistan’s legitimacy through regional consensus and full political inclusion in Afghanistan.

 

Latest News

Dozens of U.S. lawmakers oppose Afghan immigration freeze after Washington shooting

Published

on

Sixty-one members of the U.S. Congress have urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to halt immigration processing for Afghan nationals, warning that the move unfairly targets Afghan nationals following a deadly shooting involving two National Guard members.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers said the incident should not be used to vilify Afghans who are legally seeking entry into the United States. They stressed that Afghan applicants undergo extensive vetting involving multiple U.S. security agencies.

The letter criticized the suspension of Special Immigrant Visa processing, the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan, and broader travel and asylum restrictions, warning that such policies endanger Afghan allies who supported U.S. forces during the war.

 “Exploiting this tragedy to sow division and inflame fear will not make America safer. Abandoning those who made the courageous choice to stand beside us signals to those we may need as allies in the future that we cannot be trusted to honor our commitments. That is a mistake we cannot afford,” the group said.

The U.S. admitted nearly 200,000 Afghan nationals in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. military and their families still wait at military bases and refugee camps around the world for a small number of SIVs.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes Afghanistan – USGS

Published

on

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Afghanistan on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake occurred at 10:09 local time at a depth of 35 km, USGS said.

Its epicentre was 25 kilometres from Nahrin district of Baghlan province in north Afghanistan.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Chairman of US House intel panel criticizes Afghan evacuation vetting process

Published

on

Chairman of U.S. House intelligence committee, Rick Crawford, has criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Afghan admissions to the United States following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In a statement, Crawford said that alongside large numbers of migrants entering through the U.S. southern border, approximately 190,000 Afghan nationals were granted entry under Operation Allies Welcome after the U.S. military withdrawal. He claimed that many of those admitted lacked proper documentation and, in some cases, were allowed into the country without comprehensive biometric data being collected.

Crawford said that the United States had a duty to protect Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces and institutions during the two-decade conflict. However, he argued that the rapid and poorly coordinated nature of the withdrawal created conditions that overwhelmed existing screening and vetting systems.

“The rushed and poorly planned withdrawal created a perfect storm,” Crawford said, asserting that it compromised the government’s ability to fully assess who was being admitted into the country.

He said that there 18,000 known or suspected terrorists in the U.S.

“Today, I look forward to getting a better understanding of the domestic counterterrorism picture, and hearing how the interagency is working to find, monitor, prosecute, and deport known or suspected terrorists that never should have entered our country to begin with,” he said.

The Biden administration has previously defended Operation Allies Welcome, stating that multiple layers of security screening were conducted in coordination with U.S. intelligence, defense, and homeland security agencies. Nonetheless, the evacuation and resettlement of Afghan nationals remains a contentious political issue, particularly amid broader debates over immigration and border security.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration recently ordered its diplomats worldwide to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals, effectively suspending the special immigration program for Afghans who helped the United States during its 20-year-long occupation of their home country.

The decision came after a former member of one of Afghanistan’s CIA-backed units was accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Ariana News. All rights reserved!