In an apparent warning to Pakistan, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affiars Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said on Saturday that Afghanistan has fighters who can act like “atomic bomb.”

"Today is not the day to work with Kalashnikov. Today, you will not work with M4. Today, you will have fast planes and drones. You will have weapons that the world will fear you,” Stanikzai said addressing a graduation ceremony in Kabul’s Loya Jirga hall. “Neighboring countries are proud of their weapons and claim that the Emirate is nothing in front of them. But we tell them that if you have named your rocket Ahmad and Mahmud, Ahmad and Mahmud themselves are here with us. If you have named your rocket Ghaznavi, Babur or Abdali, my country is full of Abdalis, Mahmuds and Abdalis. Each of them is an atomic bomb.”

Stanikzai warned that if Afghanistan sends “five sons of Mahmud, Abdali or Babur across the border, no one could stop them not even in the Indian ocean.”

The official said that Afghan forces have successfully protected the country’s borders. "If the enemy has looked at it with an evil eye, they have plucked out their eye."

The remarks come as Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province last month, killing dozens of people. Afghanistan retaliated targeting multiple points in Pakistan.

In his speech, Stanikzai also stressed on the importance of making Afghanistan’s economy self-reliant.

"Any country that is poor is a slave. This is a principle in the world. A hungry and poor person accepts the orders of the rich, and if he does not accept their orders, no one will give him bread. Today, if foreign countries and organizations set conditions in Afghanistan, it is because we are dependent on them. If we were economically self-reliant, we would tell everyone that we will not accept any of your conditions and you should not interfere, but unfortunately, we are dependent for even a sack of flour,” he said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Friday called for Afghanistan's cooperation in continuing the natural flow of water in border rivers and removing obstacles in this regard.

Referring to the cultural, racial, religious and civilization ties between Iran and Afghanistan, and the presence of millions of Afghans in Iran for nearly five decades, Baqaei said that maintaining and deepening relations between the two countries in various fields requires respect for mutual interests and avoiding "harmful unilateral actions."

He also emphasized the importance of bilateral agreements and applicable principles of international treaties and customary law and the natural rights of people downstream of shared rivers, as well as the principle of good neighborliness in the fair use of water resources by the two nations.

Regarding the construction of new dams or dam filling in Afghanistan, he said that Tehran has repeatedly told the Afghan authorities that water resources cannot be carried out without respecting Iran's rights in accordance with the bilateral treaty.

The official stated that Tehran, in contact with the relevant Afghan authorities, has expressed its strong objection and concern regarding the "disproportionate restriction" of water entering Iran or the diversion of the natural course of the rivers that have been the origin and source of development and shaping the natural environmental landscape of both sides of the shared borders.

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 the drought situation.

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, has expressed concern over the investments made by Afghans in neighboring countries and the region, amounting to billions of dollars.

In an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Azizi revealed that his ministry is actively working to facilitate the return of Afghan investments from neighboring countries and the region back to Afghanistan.

He explained that discussions have already been initiated with several Afghan investors on this issue.

“I cannot provide exact figures, but Iran has previously stated that Afghans have invested nearly $9 billion in the country,” he said.

However, he was optimistic, adding, “By the grace of God, we have enacted laws that are gradually enabling immigrants, the private sector, and our entrepreneurs to invest within Afghanistan.”

Azizi also highlighted the ministry's efforts to support industrialists, mentioning that programs for land allocation and electricity supply are advancing quickly.

He announced that 150,000 acres of land would be distributed for economic activities to boost domestic industry.

Furthermore, the Acting Minister revealed that Afghanistan has successfully convinced Uzbekistan to invest in the country’s electricity sector.

While banking issues faced by Afghan traders in neighboring countries and the region have been resolved, Azizi acknowledged that challenges remain at the international level.

Azizi also stressed that the Ministry of Industry is working tirelessly to expand new export markets for Afghan products, aiming to reduce traders’ reliance on specific markets, particularly Pakistan.