After attack on Hazara community, fault lines reemerge in Iran-Taliban ties
Tehran-Kabul ties appeared to be headed in a positive direction in recent months, yet a Sept. 12 attack on Shiites in Afghanistan has renewed tensions.
An Islamic State attack that killed 14 members of the Shiite Hazara community in central Afghanistan last week has sparked anti-Taliban sentiments in Iran.
Tehran-Kabul ties appeared headed in a positive direction in recent months, following the announcement of a planned Afghan investment of $35 million in the Iranian port at Chabahar and enhanced trade ties. Persisting sectarian issues and management of Afghan refugees, however, apparently still have the potential to complicate relations between Iran and the Taliban.
On Sept. 12, members of the Hazara community in Afghanistan gathering to welcome Afghan Shiites returning from a pilgrimage to Karbala, in Iraq, when gunmen attacked them. Shortly thereafter, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the 14 deaths. Six people were injured.
The Iranian Embassy in Kabul condemned the attack and released a statement blaming Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) for the assault, stressing that the perpetrators of this “great tragedy” must be brought to justice.
