Iran and Afghanistan Eye Enhanced Economic Ties, Transit Cooperation

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister of the Afghan caretaker government, to discuss a boost in economic cooperation between their countries. In Tehran, the officials explored areas of mutual interest, with Iran expressing a willingness to advance relations, particularly in economic sectors and modern technologies, to support Afghanistan’s current challenges.

Baradar affirmed his government’s intentional pivot toward enhancing ties with Iran, underscoring the strategic use of Iranian transit routes and ports, such as Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, to bolster Afghanistan’s trade.

Both sides denounced Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The conversation also touched on Afghan refugees in Iran and a joint commitment to combat narcotics trafficking, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.