Iran on Tuesday summoned Afghanistan’s envoy in Tehran over attacks the previous day on Iranian diplomatic missions in the neighboring country, state media in Iran reported.
According to the reports, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the Afghan chargé d’affaires in protest over Monday’s attacks on the Iranian Embassy in Kabul and the Iranian Consulate in Herat, where protests had turned aggressive. In Herat, angry Afghan protesters pelted the consulate with rocks.
The ministry demanded that Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers provide the missions with full security and said they stopped working until further notice. On Monday, ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said more needed to be done by the Taliban to ensure security to Iranian missions.
In recent weeks, unverified videos purporting to show Afghan refugees being tortured in Iran have been published on social media, angering many Afghans. Iran has denied the accusations.
Iran hosts millions of Afghan refugees. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the number of Afghans in Iran has jumped to 5 million, from nearly 4 million before the Taliban took power last August.
After crowds gathered in front of Iran’s embassy in Kabul and its consulate general in Herat and stoned the buildings, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry reminded the Taliban of its responsibility to ensure the security of diplomatic sites in Afghanistan.
In a statement on Monday evening, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh reacted to the gatherings outside Iran’s embassy in Kabul and its consulate general in Herat and also to stone-throwing at the two diplomatic missions.
Khatibzadeh reminded the current rulers of Afghanistan of their absolute responsibility to protect and safeguard the security of diplomatic missions.
He underlined that the full security of the embassy and diplomatic missions of Iran in Herat and other cities of Afghanistan must be provided fully and necessary guarantees for their safe operation must be provided as well.
The spokesman referred to the deep and multi-layered bonds between the two nations of Iran and Afghanistan and the decades-long respectful hospitality of the Iranian government and people toward the Afghans, warning against any scheme by plotters and ill-wishers of the two countries, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
Unfortunately, some videos and comments are making the rounds with the aim of Iranophobia and Afghanophobia, Khatibzadeh added, noting that this is meant to provoke the sentiments of the people of Iran and Afghanistan.
The nations of the two countries must be vigilant more than ever, he underlined.
“We are in constant touch with the ambassador and officials in the diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan,” the spokesman stated.
(with inputs from AP)
