Iran regime to host Taliban leaders at a conference in Tehran - report
- Thursday, 15 December 2016 08:30
The Iranian regime is publicly hosting leaders of the Afghan Taliban movement in a so-called ‘Islamic Unity’ conference, Al Arabiya.net reported on Wednesday.
According to the state-run Mehr news agency, mullah Mohsen Araki, who is the Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, said at a press conference on Tuesday that Tehran has invited moderate figures such as the Taliban to attend the two-day International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran.
Araki said that “the invitation was sent to some Islamic and political figures in the Taliban movement who believe in the unity of Muslims,” stressing that “Iran has always held contacts with some parties in the Taliban movement, who believe in the Islamic unity.”
This announcement comes two days after the statement of the Iranian regime's ambassador to Kabul, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, who spoke about talks between Tehran and the Taliban, the report by Al Arabiya.net said.
Afghan authorities had accused Tehran of providing military and logistical support to the Taliban, which in turn has in recent months escalated its operations in various regions of the country, the report added.