Iran Secures Taliban Agreement for Water Level Assessment at Afghanistan’s Kajaki Dam
Iran’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, announced on Friday that the interim Afghan government, led by the Taliban, had agreed to permit Iranian experts to assess the water level at Afghanistan’s Kajaki Dam on the Helmand River. This decision emerges amid rising tension over Iran’s water rights, sourced from the river.
The Helmand River, flowing into Iran’s drought-stricken Sistan and Baluchestan Province, has been the subject of a longstanding agreement, dating back to a 1973 treaty. This agreement stipulates Iran’s entitlement to 820 million cubic meters of water annually from the river.
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In recent weeks, Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, have pressed the Taliban to honor Iran’s water rights. The Taliban have previously been accused of diverting the river’s course to prevent water from reaching Iran, according to Iranian Space Agency satellite images.
Despite the Taliban labeling Iran’s frequent requests and comments as “harmful,” they assert a commitment to the 1973 treaty. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, affirmed in early May that the Taliban recognized Iran’s water shares.
