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Afghan crisis exposes rifts across Iran's political spectrum

At the two ends of Iran's political spectrum angry voices are being heard in a fierce battle over the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, and especially the question of support for resistance forces in Panjshir Valley.
People push carts loaded with coffins of Afghan nationals who died in Iran after receiving them at an Afghan-Iran border crossing in Zaranj on Sept. 8, 2021.

Iran's Reformists woke up to a stinging editorial Sept. 9 by the hard-line daily Kayhan that grilled them over their sympathy for the resistance front in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley.

Kayhan, which is affiliated with the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, challenged the Reformists to come forth and enrol to be deployed to Panjshir if they are serious about such support. Kayhan described the pro-Panjshir camp as "a tiny but raucous" group.

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