The water crisis escalates between Iran and the Taliban
The Taliban have announced that they will not allow Iranian technical teams to inspect dams in Afghanistan to determine the water level.
The deputy foreign minister of the interim Taliban government and one of the main figures of the Taliban, Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, spoke to “Afghanistan International” television about the tension between Iran and the distribution of water in the Hilmend river, which has been intensified in recent days.
Stating that they are loyal to the agreement signed in 1973 on the exchange of water between Afghanistan and Iran, Stanekzai pointed out that there has been a severe drought in the country in recent years, but if there is enough water, Iran will get the share it deserves. Stanekzai stated that dams, like military zones, are the private and national affairs of each country, and responded to the Iranian government’s request for a technical committee affiliated with them to conduct inspections at the Kaceki dam as follows:
“No country allows another to carry out inspections at sensitive points such as dams. They don’t let us either. Under no circumstances can we allow you to inspect the Kaceki Dam. If there is water, we will give them their rights. Don’t complain when it isn’t. Plus, they always got their fair share. Even this year, they got the right to water.”
Stanekzai stressed the importance of resolving the issue through dialogue, stating that drought and water scarcity are a global problem and therefore Iran should not magnify this problem.
DIFFICULT EXPLANATIONS FROM IRAN
Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Emir Abdullahiyan, who visited Sistan-Baluchestan province on Iran’s border with Afghanistan last week, used harsh language in saying that the Taliban side did not comply with the water agreement in question.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in response to the Iranian authorities, stated that Iran’s stance could damage bilateral relations and stated that harsh statements should not be made about the press.
Following the aforementioned statements, Iran sent a delegation to Afghanistan, and water and border issues were discussed in the talks.
The water problem in the Hilmend Canal between Afghanistan and Iran was resolved by the agreement reached in 1973. Under the agreement, Afghanistan had promised to supply 26 cubic meters of water per second “under normal conditions” to Iran from the Hilmand River. . While 22 cubic meters of this was defined as “Iran’s right to water”, 4 cubic meters was designated as Afghanistan’s “indicator of goodwill” towards Iran, but the “normal conditions” statement in the deal does not cover periods of water scarcity or drought.
Therefore, the decrease in the amount of water flowing to Iran due to the drought in Afghanistan in recent years began to worry the Tehran administration. The two countries, which have frequent dry spells, are at odds over the water problem, despite expressing their commitment to the agreement signed in 1973.
While the Taliban administration argues that the amount of water in the Keceki Dam and Kemal Han rivers in the Hilmend River has decreased due to the drought in the region, Iran claims that a technical committee should visit the dams and confirm this situation. (AA)