Taliban have dispatched heavily armed troops to the Iran border. Today Iranian border forces fired toward Afghanistan, which was met with a counter-reaction. Two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter were killed and the Taliban captured several checkpoints of Iranian guard
Two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter have been killed after a shooting broke out near a border post between Iran and Afghanistan, sharply escalating rising tensions between the two countries amid a dispute over water rights.
The situation described highlights a potential source of tension between Iran and the Taliban regarding water rights and the flow of water from the Helmand River. According to the statement, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Taliban about potentially violating a 1973 treaty that governs the water flow from the Helmand River to Iran’s eastern regions. The accusation made by Iran implies that the Taliban may be restricting the water flow, which could have significant implications for Iran’s water supply.
The incident described in the news report involves an exchange of gunfire between Iranian border guards and Taliban fighters along the border between Iran and Afghanistan. Two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter were reportedly killed in the clashes. Both sides have accused each other of initiating the shooting.
According to the Iranian government, the Taliban initiated a “heavy attack” on an Iranian border outpost, prompting a counteraction from Iranian border guards. The Iranian government has criticized the Taliban for violating international law and principles of good neighborliness.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Taliban-run Interior Ministry in Afghanistan stated that Iranian border forces fired toward Afghanistan, and the Taliban responded in kind. The Taliban spokesperson confirmed the death of two people in the clashes and called for dialogue and negotiations to resolve the issue.
the clashes, there had been tensions between Iran and the de facto Taliban regime in Afghanistan regarding water rights. Iran accused Afghanistan of not complying with a 1973 agreement that obligates Afghanistan to provide Iran with 850 million cubic meters of water annually from the Helmand River. Disputes over cross-border water supplies have been a longstanding issue between the two countries. The Taliban officials have claimed that due to low water levels, opening the Kajaki Dam would not provide any significant water flow to Iran. Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, had warned the Taliban about violating Iran’s water rights to the Helmand River on May 18.
The situation underscores the ongoing tensions between Iran and Afghanistan, both in terms of security along the border and disputes over shared natural resources.
