TEHRAN, 3 February, 2021 (TON): During the talks in Tehran, Iran and militant Afghans blamed the U.S. for the ongoing violence in the Afghanistan territory.  

During talks in Tehran, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, told a Taliban delegation, "The US strategy supports the continuation of violence and war between Afghan groups within the political spectrum”.

In turn, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s political bureau chief, did not cut his words and said, “We don’t trust the United States and we will fight any group that supplies mercenary services for the U.S.".

Baradar also accused the former U.S. administration of not succeeding in acting in accordance with the agreement signed of withdrawal negotiations in Doha in February last year.

Talks between the two parties are not unusual, but it has happened rarely before. The relations of the two have not always been as close as they are now as both were enemies not so long ago.

Previously, the Afghan militants have been fighting against the western-backed government in Kabul, and against army and NATO allies, funded by Saudi Arab and later by private foundations, however, soon the financing decreased and the group sought to look for a new ally that came in as Iran while, most Afghans also oppose the militant group’s relations with Iran.