Iran to Taliban FM: Terrorism ‘common enemy’ of regional countries

The Iranian foreign minister has condemned a recent deadly terrorist attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul, saying terrorism is a “common enemy” of the countries in the region.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remark in a phone conversation with the Taliban-run Afghan government’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi on Thursday, a day after a huge explosion in front of the foreign ministry compound in Kabul killed and injured a number of the ministry’s employees.  

“Yesterday's terrorist attack in front of the entrance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan is very regrettable and we strongly condemn it. We also offer our condolences to the families of the martyrs of this incident and pray to God for a speedy recovery for the injured,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

“Terrorism is the common enemy of the countries of the region and they, in line with the goals and desires of global arrogance and by killing innocent people, aim to make the colonialist countries dominate the regional countries,” he said.

The top Iranian diplomat said what happened in Kabul on Wednesday and what took place in Shah Cheragh shrine in Iran's southern city of Shiraz in October  2022 have the “same origin” and a “unified approach” is required to counter such terrorist activities. 

Mottaqi, for his part, appreciated Amir-Abdollahian's call and underscored the necessity of a decisive fight against terrorism in cooperation with neighboring countries.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack in Kabul but observers say it could be the handiwork of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

MG