Iran’s Vice President has called on his government to strengthen relations with neighboring countries, especially Afghanistan.

Mohammad Reza Aref stated that neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan provide great opportunities for Iran’s border provinces, including Khorasan Razavi.

He said governors of border provinces played an important role in strengthening ties with neighbors and in light of this, Tehran will look at enhancing the status of these provinces and promote them in trade dealings with neighbors.

Iran has been stepping up contact with Afghanistan’s rulers as part of a concerted bid to strengthen ties. While Tehran has not yet officially recognized the Islamic Emirate government, commentators have noted that this could soon change.

Regular meetings between Afghan and Iranian officials have been taking place – especially around boosting bilateral trade.

In the latest initiative, Mohammadreza Nazeri, Iran’s Director-General of the Office of Economic Coordination, met with Shafiullah Azam, Director General of Economic Cooperation of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Kabul and discussed economic relations between the two countries.

Iran is one of Afghanistan’s most important economic partners, and trade volume between the two countries has increased to $4 billion; $55 million in exports from Afghanistan and $3.311 billion in imports.

Priyansh Arya became only the second batter to score a hundred in IPL 2025 when he notched up a 42-ball 103 in Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) home match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mullanpur on Tuesday. 

This was his maiden IPL century and it came off just 39 balls and it was the joint-fourth fastest hundred in the IPL. 

Punjab Kings won by 18 runs.

Arya however set the tone for Tuesday’s match in emphatic fashion from the very first ball when he hit a six. This is only the fourth time an IPL match has begun with a maximum. 

He then went on to hammer nine sixes and seven fours in a breathtaking 103 off just 42 balls. In doing so, he became only the eighth uncapped player in IPL history to register a century. 

Arya’s rise to prominence through his explosive performances in the Delhi Premier League is well-documented. He was the tournament’s leading run-scorer in 2024, amassing over 600 runs in 10 matches, including two centuries and four half-centuries. 

His standout performances caught the attention of IPL scouts, leading to his acquisition by the Punjab Kings for INR 3.8 crore (about $500,000) – a substantial investment in the flamboyant 24-year-old batter.

Arya, who was Player of the Match, said after Tuesday’s match that his century was an “out of the world feeling. I feel very happy but I feel I should contribute more to the team. Shreyas told me to bat with intent, you go for it even with your first ball after I got out last match. When Nehal came out to bat, I told him we will look for singles and doubles, but he told me you play the way with whatever first comes to your mind. All bowlers are good, any bowler could have troubled me.”

Wednesday’s match

Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals today, Wednesday April 9.  The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and a high-scoring contest could be on the cards.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch the match, live and exclusively on Ariana Television from 5:30 pm.

Iran’s acting ambassador to Kabul Alireza Bigdeli on Monday updated Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the latest status of bilateral relations between Kabul and Tehran.

According to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Bigdeli also reported back on the achievements of the embassy in Kabul.

Araghchi in turn emphasized the importance of relations between the two neighboring Muslim countries in various fields, the statement read.

He also stressed the necessity of seriously pursuing mutual agreements, including understandings reached between the two countries regarding cooperation for facilitating the gradual return of Afghan nationals and Iran’s participation in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

In January, Araghchi became the country’s first foreign minister to visit Kabul in nine years. While in the country, Araghchi discussed a range of issues with his Afghan counterparts, signaling a more cooperative mode in bilateral relations that could eventually lead to the recognition of the Islamic Emirate rule by Tehran.

Iran has not yet recognized the IEA government, but commentators have said it’s clear that the two sides are pursuing a pragmatic approach to bilateral relations.