Iran confirms hosting Taliban delegation for peace talks

Iran says it has hosted a delegation from Taliban to discuss possible ways to end hostilities in Afghanistan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told reporters in Tehran on Monday that the extensive meetings between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the group on Sunday were coordinated with the government of Afghanistan.

“Since the Taliban are in control of more than 50 percent of Afghanistan, and given the insecurity, instability and other issues that the country is dealing with, they [the Taliban] were interested in talks with Iran,” Qassemi said.

He said Iran has long borders with Afghanistan and always sought a constructive role to maintain peace in the region.

The Tehran meetings came days after it was confirmed that Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), had traveled to the war-torn country for initial talks.

Qassemi then pointed to Trump’s recent trip to Iraq and his decision earlier this month to end the US military presence in Syria, saying Washington “should go back home.”

Elsewhere, Qassemi dismissed as “substantially false” reports that the European Union has set conditions for establishing a special payment channel that is supposed to secure its trade commitments under the 2015 nuclear with Tehran.

“Today, no country in the world is unmindful of Iran’s characteristics and everyone knows that Iran won’t allow others to set conditions for it,” Qassemi said. 

Iran and the EU have been working on the so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for a few months now, following US President Donald Trump’s decision in May to abandon the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA).

SS