New Delhi: In what can be seen as a minor setback to the incoming Taliban regime, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that his country would support a government "elected by the Afghan people".
“A government should be established there which is elected by the votes and the will of the people….The Islamic Republic (Iran) has always sought peace and calm in Afghanistan, and an end to bloodshed and fratricide, and the sovereignty of the people’s will" he told the state TV.
"We support a government elected by the Afghan people,” Raisi said.
Iran is a well known Shia powerhouse and Taliban – a monopoly of Sunnis.
In the 1990s and later, the Taliban dispensation faced problems from Iran when the latter helped the US forces to ‘topple’ the militants in 2001.
Iran has a track record of mobilizing Shia communities throughout the Middle East for the protection of the Assad regime.
In the past too, the Iranian security agencies have recruited a large number of Afghan and Pakistani Shias to fight in Syria.
In July when China hosted a delegation from Taliban group, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had told a television channel: No one (including countries such as Iran) has an interest in a military takeover of the country by the Taliban, the restoration of an Islamic emirate".
Iran of course has serious and multiple issues with the United States.
It is also worth mentioning that Iran has considerable influence on regional Taliban leaders along the borders.
India has always maintained a cordial relationship with Iran.
In the past, Iran along with Afghanistan, India and Russia had backed the move to create a framework which would ‘collectively censure’ countries that support terror groups.
600 Taliban killed:
Meanwhile, Panjshir resistance force spokesperson Fahim Dashti said "About 600 Taliban have been liquidated in various districts of Panjshir ….More than 1,000 Taliban have been captured or surrendered themselves".
The vice president of the ousted regime, Amrullah Saleh has denied that he has fled the country.
