Iran, Russia urge de-escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Russia has offered to help ease tensions as Islamabad presses the Taliban to take verifiable action against militant groups
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) – Iran and Russia share a common view on the need to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities and to counter terrorist threats linked to Afghanistan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as Moscow signaled a possible larger diplomatic role in the standoff.
“We also agree on issues concerning Afghanistan, reducing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, and countering terrorist threats,” Araghchi said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran.
His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban, including border clashes and the closure of key crossings.
Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev said Monday that Moscow was concerned about the continued closure of the crossings and the toll on civilians and regional trade.
Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, he voiced concern over civilian casualties from Pakistani actions inside Afghanistan, as well as reports of militants crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Resolving this issue is in the interest not only of the two countries, but of the entire region,” he said.
Khorev said the tensions had figured prominently during a visit to Islamabad the previous week by Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev — the first by a Russian interior minister — who held talks with civilian and military leaders including Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The trip coincided with a visit to Kabul by Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin.
Separately, sources told Amu TV that sporadic clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces had continued for days in the eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia and Paktika; the Taliban Defense Ministry denied any such fighting.
Moscow’s willingness to mediate is notable given its ties to the Taliban: Russia last year became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government and has since expanded security engagement with Kabul.
Those ties have at times put it at odds with Islamabad’s increasingly critical stance.
At Moscow Format consultations earlier this month, Lavrov praised the Taliban administration while Pakistan pressed Kabul to act against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); the meeting ended without a joint statement, with Pakistan saying the Afghan side had rejected language on terrorist networks.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of letting the TTP use Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan, which Kabul denies.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries but was unaware of any formal Russian mediation initiative.
“Such efforts should be meaningful and yield tangible progress,” he said, adding that progress depended on “concrete and verifiable” Taliban action against militant groups.
Pakistan and Russia have separately moved to deepen trade, energy and transport links, working toward an economic cooperation program running through 2030.
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