Taliban spokespersons have announced a three-day visit to Tehran by Mullah Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Political Prime Minister. He will attend the inauguration ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian, the new President of Iran.
According to Tarz Press, Hamdullah Fitrat, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban, shared on Twitter that Abdul Kabir departed for Tehran on Monday morning following an official invitation. During his visit, he will participate in the inauguration and engage in discussions with Iranian officials to strengthen political relations between Kabul and Tehran, expand joint cooperation, and address the issues faced by Afghan refugees in Iran.
The visit by the Taliban representative occurs amidst reports of mistreatment and violence against Afghan refugees in Iran. Social media videos have surfaced showing Iranian citizens attacking suspected and detained Afghans. Although the Taliban have not yet commented on these incidents, human rights organizations and advocacy groups have demanded an immediate end to the abuse and called on the Iranian government to prosecute the perpetrators.
Amrullah Saleh, the first Vice President under former Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, recently published an open letter demanding clarity from the Iranian government regarding the mistreatment of Afghan refugees. So far, the Iranian government has remained silent on the issue.
