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Monday, December 15, 2025
Diplomats from Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, along with representatives from Russia and China, gathered in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the economic and security situation in Afghanistan. While the participants called for a “regional solution” to the crises facing the country, the Taliban government declined an invitation to attend the talks.
The meeting, hosted by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, included envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The talks focused on identifying shared challenges, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and the flow of refugees across Afghanistan’s borders.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi opened the session by criticizing Western involvement in the region. He attributed much of Afghanistan’s current instability to what he termed the “failed policies” of the United States and its allies. Araghchi urged the international community to lift sanctions on Afghanistan and unfreeze the country’s assets, arguing that economic isolation has only deepened the humanitarian crisis.
“The freezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets and the imposition of sanctions have aggravated the suffering of the Afghan people,” Araghchi stated during the conference.
Security concerns were a primary agenda item for other attendees. Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, used the platform to urge the rulers in Kabul to take decisive action against militant groups operating within their borders.
Sadiq stated that “eliminating terrorist sanctuaries” was a prerequisite for restoring trust in the region. He emphasized that a stable security environment is necessary to unlock Afghanistan’s potential for economic connectivity and trade with its neighbors. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained recently following accusations that Kabul has failed to curb the activities of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other cross-border militant groups.
Despite the meeting’s focus on engagement, the Taliban did not send a delegation. A spokesman for the Taliban confirmed they had been invited but decided against attending, without specifying a reason for the refusal.
In a joint statement released after the meeting, the participating nations agreed to deepen regional coordination to address political and economic challenges. They also reiterated the call for the removal of international sanctions that hinder Afghanistan’s development.
The Tehran meeting is part of an ongoing series of diplomatic efforts by regional powers to manage the fallout from the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. forces and the subsequent Taliban takeover. Both Iran and Pakistan currently host millions of Afghan refugees and have expressed concern over the potential for further displacement if the economic situation in Afghanistan does not improve.
