TEHRAN — Speaking at his weekly online press briefing on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that “Afghanistan's security is Iran's security.”

Khatibzadeh said insecurity in Afghanistan is not tolerable for the Islamic Republic.
 
The comments by the Foreign Ministry spokesman come as the war between the Afghan government and the Taliban has intensified in recent weeks. The clashes between the sides entered a new phase as the United States started withdrawing its troops from the Central Asian country after 20 years.

The Taliban have captured more parts of Afghanistan, including part of the country’s territory bordering Iran.

"In the case of Afghanistan, we are closely monitoring the situation at the borders. We monitor the situation and check it regularly," the spokesman said.

Khatibzadeh said that Afghanistan's only way is through dialogue, and lasting peace must be achieved through dialogue.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is actively involved with Afghan groups in bilateral and multilateral dimensions." 

He added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran's special representative for Afghanistan is in contact with these groups in various ways, and we are ready to continue this relationship in person. We welcome any initiative in this direction and help to establish a comprehensive and mutually beneficial dialogue between the various groups in Afghanistan to achieve peace in this country.”

Iran will continue this path as long as the Afghan parties adhere to it, the spokesman remarked.

Iran hosted intra-Afghan talks on July 8-9. The meeting was attended by senior Afghan and Taliban negotiators.

“European Hijab ban is discriminatory”

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also said the European ban on Hijab is a “discriminatory” decision.

"The decision announced by the European court is a shameful decision, and it is strange that when the issue of human rights, minorities and freedom of religion takes on Muslims, it gets a narrow meaning in Europe," Khatibzadeh noted.

The European Union's top court ruled on July 15 that employers may forbid wearing visible symbols of religious or political belief, such as headscarves.

The spokesman warned that the decision can be the basis for the spread of Islamophobia and violence against Muslims in Europe.

"We expect the relevant European authorities to right this process because this is the primary violation of the freedom of law, religion, and rights of the minorities in Europe."

“Israel won’t gain legitimacy as UAE opens embassy in Tel Aviv”
 
Khatibzadeh also said Israel as an aggressor regime would not gain legitimacy as the UAE opens opened its embassy in Tel Aviv.

The occupying regime suffers from a lack of legitimacy and “it will not gain legitimacy in this way," he reiterated.

He added that the UAE should also know that it will be responsible for the violence and what will happen due to the presence of the occupying regime in the region.

“The Lebanese decide for their future”

Regarding the Lebanon issue, the spokesman said it is the Lebanese people who have to decide on the future of their country.

Khatibzadeh said that Iran has announced its readiness to assist the Lebanese government, and it will not hesitate to help whenever the Lebanese government is ready.

"We have never backed down from assisting all Lebanese parties, including the government, political parties, and movements in this country, and we have always declared our readiness, and whenever they asked us to assist, we did."

He also said, "It is important that in a political direction that reflects the maturity of the Lebanese people, political dialogue in this country is concluded, and a government is formed in this country as soon as possible."

“Iran-Saudi dialogue benefits the region”

Responding to a question about the continuation of the Iran-Saudi dialogue in Baghdad, the spokesman said Iran had repeated several times that holding such kinds of talks will be in the interest of the region's people, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
"God willing, this issue will continue in the direction agreed by both sides," he reiterated.

In response to a question on the Israeli forces’ attacks on defenseless Palestinians, the spokesman said the raid on the eve of Eid al-Adha is strongly condemned.
"Iran expresses its disgust with the attack, and defending the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people has always been one of the priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Khatibzadeh underlined.
 

SA/PA