Iran will not allow the Islamic State group to establish a presence on the country’s border with Afghanistan, President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Saturday
“We will not allow terrorist organisations and IS to set up next to our border and strike other countries and the region,” Mr. Raisi said as he wound up a visit to Tajikistan. “The presence of IS in Afghanistan is dan- gerous not only for Afghanistan but also for the region,” he said.
The Taliban took Afghanistan’s capital on August 15. Iran, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan, did not recognise the Taliban during their first stint in power. But Tehran has appeared to soften its stance towards the Sunni militia in recent times.
The Islamic republic has stressed that the Taliban must be “part of a future solution” in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s new rulers have formed a government composed entirely of Taliban and belonging almost entirely to the Pashtun ethnic group. “A government belonging to only one ethnic or political group cannot solve Afghanistan’s problems,” Mr. Raisi said on Saturday, calling for a government with representation for all Afghans.
