Afghan Media Reports: Iranian Ambassador In Kabul Says ‘There Are No Obstacles To The Recognition Of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

According to Afghan media reports, a series of recent statements from Iran indicate that it is rapidly moving to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) government. If Iran does so, it will be the second country after Russia to have recognized the Taliban government in Kabul.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: “Iran Looks At Neighboring Countries With A Sense Of Brotherhood, Friendship, And Kinship”

On February 10, 2026, Iran’s acting Ambassador to Kabul Alireza Bikdeli told TOLOnews that “there are no obstacles to recognizing the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and that Iran will recognize it in the near future.”

“We remain concerned that some external actors cannot tolerate stability and security in Afghanistan and see the country as a place to harm the interests of others,” the Iranian envoy said, according to a TOLOnews report from the same day. “At the appropriate time, we will exercise this legal decision and, to strengthen our relations, we will take an initiative regarding recognition that you will all appreciate,” he added.

A week later, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the International Conference on Investment and Financing Opportunities of Rail and Road Corridors, said that Tehran “views its neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, as brothers and friends.” According to a February 16 TOLOnews report, the Iranian president said: “Iran looks at neighboring countries with a sense of brotherhood, friendship, and kinship.”

“We have deep historical and cultural ties spanning thousands of years with Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan; and we consider ourselves to share common roots with them,” Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to the report.

Afghan Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid: “We Do Not Support The Outbreak Of War” Between U.S. And Iran

Although the Iranian president’s statement was made in a broader context of the region, Afghan media reports gave more importance to it because it was made amid likely U.S. strikes in Iran while Afghanistan too is in a state of war with Pakistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan Taliban spokesman, gave an interview to Iranian media outlets in which he said: “First, we do not support the outbreak of war [between U.S. and Iran].”

According to the TOLOnews report, Zabihullah Mujahid added: “Secondly, when Iran was attacked in the past, it emerged victorious and will be victorious again because it has the capability and is in the right. Beyond that, if war occurs and any kind of assistance is requested from us, we are ready to stand with Iran in sympathy and cooperation in resolving war-related issues and conflict. However, we hope that war does not take place.”

On February 21, TOLOnews journalist Bibi Amina Hakimi wrote another report that quoted acting Iranian Ambassador Bikdeli as saying: “There are no obstacles to the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan… the matter could be realized soon, discussions about the future of formal relations between Kabul and Tehran have entered a new phase.”

According to the report, Zabihullah Mujahid also said that “diplomatic and economic interactions between the two countries have made notable progress in recent years.” The Taliban spokesman added: “Afghanistan-Iran interactions are currently official and uninterrupted; both diplomatically and economically, the two countries have achieved good progress. If formal recognition is announced, it would further improve the situation.”

Sources: ToloNews.com (Afghanistan), February 10, 16, and 21, 2026.