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Iran will use ‘all means’ to restore water rights from Afghanistan
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday Tehran will use all means to restore its water rights from Afghanistan and that the Islamic Emirate should take the issue seriously.
Ismail Baqaei, the spokesman for the foreign ministry, said in response to a question at a press conference on the construction of water dams in Afghanistan, that Tehran has been following the issue closely for some time now and has lodged objections to the issue of dams being built in Afghanistan, IRNA news agency reported.
“It is clear that the waters that have flowed from Afghanistan to Iran for thousands or millions of years create rights for parties on both sides of the border,” Baqaei said, adding that there is a specific agreement in this regard.
“We will use all means to restore rights in this regard,” he added.
The official also said that Iran’s acting ambassador in Kabul is following up on the issue of water rights.
The issue of water rights has been a source of tension between Afghanistan and Iran over the past few years.
Recently, Fida Hossein Maliki, a member of Iran’s parliament, expressed concern about the construction of water dams in Afghanistan and said that this issue is questionable.
He said that the current rulers of Afghanistan are treating neighboring countries, including Iran, in a way that has not been seen in the past.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized that it is committed to ensuring Iran’s rights in accordance with the 1973 treaty, but Iran must also consider that the country is dealing with a drought.
Baqaei’s comments on Monday, follow close on the heels of his remarks Friday when he underscored the critical need for cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan to maintain the natural flow of water in shared border rivers.
He also noted Iran’s long-standing role in hosting millions of Afghan nationals over the past five decades. These enduring ties, he said, underscore the importance of mutual respect and collaboration in addressing shared challenges.
On Friday, Baqaei called on Afghanistan to respect these rights and cooperate in ensuring the continued flow of water.
“The principle of good neighborliness should guide our efforts,” Baqaei stated, adding that equitable use of shared water resources is essential for the well-being of both nations.
Recently, Afghanistan’s rulers announced they had begun filling the Pashdan Dam, located near Herat on the Harirud River.
The development adds to long-standing disputes over the Helmand River, which dates back to the 19th century.
Although a 1939 treaty was drafted to address water sharing, it was never ratified by Afghanistan, leading to protracted disputes.
In 1973, the two nations agreed that Afghanistan would allow a flow of 26 cubic meters per second—equivalent to 820 million cubic meters annually—into Iran.
Roza Otunbayeva, Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), recently visited the city of Maimana in northern Afghanistan, where she met with local officials, entrepreneurs, and UN staff.
UNAMA wrote on its Facebook page on Sunday, that during the visit, entrepreneurs — including women — met with Otunbayeva, and requested support to facilitate access to new markets, particularly in Uzbekistan.
UNAMA further stated that among these entrepreneurs was a group of women who, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had established a tailoring workshop.
They expressed their appreciation for the support received and spoke about the significant growth and development of their business.
UNAMA added that the organization remains committed to promoting economic opportunities and empowering Afghan communities, especially women.
Anand Prakash, head of the Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan Division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, met with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul for talks on various issues.
According to a press release issued Sunday by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, bilateral political relations, trade, transit and recent political developments in the region were discussed in the meeting.
Muttaqi stressed the need for the expansion of diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries and explained that Afghanistan currently offers favorable opportunities for investment. He said Indian investors should take advantage of these opportunities.
He also said that facilities should be created for the movement of people between Afghanistan and India and the issuance of visas for medical purposes, students and businessmen should return to normal.
Meanwhile, Prakash said that relations with Afghanistan are important for India and he hopes that these relations will expand further in various fields.
He stressed that India will continue its cooperation with Afghanistan and wants to invest in some infrastructure projects and restart projects that were paused for some time.
The two sides also emphasized the expansion of relations, the exchange of delegations, visa facilitation and bilateral cooperation.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said in a phone call with his Uzbek counterpart that Afghanistan is fully prepared for the implementation of the Trans-Afghan railway project.
During the call, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as expanding political, economic and transit cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul said in a statement on Sunday.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov noted that Afghanistan’s exports to Uzbekistan have tripled in the first four months of 2025 compared to last year. He vowed to create more facilities in the field of trade and transit between the two countries, especially in issuing visas to Afghan citizens.
Meanwhile, Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Afghanistan is fully prepared for the implementation of major economic projects such as the Trans-Afghan railway project and for the strengthening of political, trade and transit cooperation with Uzbekistan. He said that the existing opportunities should be utilized for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
The two sides also discussed the holding of a trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan at the level of foreign ministers and agreed to coordinate through diplomatic channels to determine the exact date and place of the meeting.
The three neighboring countries signed an agreement in February 2021 to construct a 573-kilometer railway line through Afghanistan, connecting landlocked Central Asia to Pakistan seaports, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion to enhance regional economic connectivity.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Uzbek foreign minister last Thursday to discuss the Trans-Afghan railway project.
Dar expressed hope that the three countries would soon sign a framework agreement on this important regional project.
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