Afghanistan Pakistan clash: Iran sets date for mediation meeting

Afghanistan Pakistan clash: Iran sets date for mediation meeting
Iran's Security Chief Ali Larijani speaks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon 13 August, 2025.
Reuters

Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The forum which will be held in Tehran also hopes to de-escalate armed tension between its two neighbouring countries.

According to the Islamabad post newspaper, the multilateral meeting which will be held on December 16-17 is viewed as a “fresh diplomatic push to break the deadlock between Kabul and Islamabad”.

Iranian authorities are yet to make an official statement about the upcoming meeting which will be the latest following rounds of talks in Doha, Istanbul and Jeddah, none of which led to a permanent ceasefire.

Since October, Islamabad and the Taliban-led interim government in Kabul have clashed over militant groups with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring terrorists who carry out attacks in Pakistan.

In the meantime, Iran has stepped up its efforts to help resolve tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The issue was raised during the visit by Ali Larijani Secretary of Supreme National Security Council to Pakistan last November.

“Iran is extremely concerned over ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan and is ready to contribute to settlement of their differences and deescalation of tension,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Sunday.

The Islamabad daily also said the upcoming Tehran talks are significant because of the expected participation of China and Russia.

Beijing and Moscow’s likely support of Tehran talks is interpreted as a sign that major powers see the escalating Pakistan-Afghan tension as a threat to regional stability, the report added.

It said Pakistan has agreed to take part in the next week’s talks, and special envoy for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq will represent Islamabad in Tehran.

“Iran is a brotherly and friendly country,” A spokesperson of Pakistan's foreign office Tahir Hussain Andrabi said, adding that the country "would not shy away from” Iran’s mediatory role, he added.

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