Taliban Delegation Visits Iran Ahead of Doha Talks

A delegation of Taliban has traveled to Iran just days ahead of the group’s seventh round of talks with U.S. officials in Qatar.

Sources close to the Taliban said on Tuesday that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar the head of the group’s political office is leading the delegation to Tehran.

“Taliban is planning to travel to other provinces as well but this will be specified later. Taliban will visit other countries after the seventh round of talks,” said Sayyed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban official.

Taliban and Iranian officials have not confirmed or rejected the news yet.

The Afghan ministry of foreign affairs has also declined to make a comment regarding the Taliban’s visit to regional countries.

Recently, reports emerged that a delegation of Taliban has visited Beijing where they hold talks with Chinese officials.

Experts question Taliban tour to regional countries, saying it will weaken the position of the Afghan government.

Irfanullah Irfan, an Afghan lawmaker said that the neighboring countries are not loyal to bring peace in Afghanistan.

He added that they are looking for their own interest and pays no respect to the sacrifices of the people of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Waheed Muzhda, a pro-Taliban analyst believes that the U.S.-Taliban talks have faced with a deadlock and if the U.S. does not determine the timeline for the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, the next round of talks will not have a result.

“Americans can solve this problem. Taliban calls on the U.S. to determine the timeline for the withdrawal of their forces,” Muzhda said.

The news of Taliban’s Iran visit comes a day after Iran’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, said that Tehran wants a role for the Taliban in the Afghan government, but that role should not be dominant.