Tehran: Speaking at the Tehran Forum, a high-profile international gathering attended by representatives from 53 countries, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stated that Afghanistan has continued to supply water to Iran in accordance with the 1973 Helmand River Water Treaty since the Taliban came to power nearly four years ago.
Muttaqi emphasized that the Iranian people should understand that providing water from the Helmand River is viewed by the Taliban as both an Islamic and moral responsibility. “Water continues to flow to Iran, and we are committed to ensuring it does not go to waste. When a Muslim suffers from thirst, it is our religious duty to help if we can. This is both a virtuous act and sound policy,” he said.
He added that the Taliban government harbors no ill intentions toward Iran regarding the water issue, and just as they care for the people of Helmand, Nimroz, and Farah provinces in Afghanistan, they also feel solidarity with the people of Iran.
Muttaqi attributed any reduction in water flow to ongoing droughts in the region and reaffirmed the Taliban administration’s commitment to the 1973 treaty between Afghanistan and Iran. He claimed that the agreement has been followed over the past four years.
He also echoed the earlier remarks made by Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Kabul around four months ago that even if the treaty did not exist, the Taliban would still see it as their duty to deliver water to the underprivileged people of Iran’s Sistan and Balochistan province.
According to the 1973 Helmand River Treaty, Iran is entitled to 820 million cubic meters of water annually under normal conditions, which equates to 22 cubic meters per second. However, Afghan officials and analysts argue that due to decades of conflict and lack of a proper water management system, Iran has often received more water than stipulated — approximately 26 cubic meters per second, sometimes even more — and still expresses dissatisfaction.
