Iran Condemns Taliban for Assault on Afghan Resistance Enclave
- Criticism comes after Iran opted to publicly engage Taliban
- Iran wants to maintain calm on border, boost trade with Kabul
An Afghan resistance fighter in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, on Sept. 2
Photographer: Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images
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Iran rebuked the Taliban for its capture of Afghanistan’s northern Panjshir valley, the last remaining opposition bastion, breaking with its largely muted stance since the fundamentalist group swept to power.
Iranian officials developed covert ties with the Taliban over recent years, united by a common enemy, the U.S., and now hope those links will enable the neighbors to rub along without tensions erupting along the 900 kilometer (560 mile) border. But Tehran had helped finance anti-Taliban resistance fighters prior to the American invasion of Afghanistan 20 years ago, many of them in Panjshir.