TEHRAN — In the past days, there have been seditions intended to sow discord between the people of Iran and Afghanistan. Falsely edited videos circulated in social media depicts Iranian border guards mistreating Afghan refugees. The videos caused anger in Kabul, Herat and other cities. But what is the truth?

As a country that hosts over 4 million Afghan refugees, Iran is known for its hospitality, and one of the countries hosting the highest number of refugees in the world. Afghan refugees in Iran are benefitting from all kinds of social services, just as every other Iranian. However, things are not going according to the Westerners’ plans, although the interim Afghan governing body is also responsible for all these troubles. 

On Monday, protesters in Herat broke the windows and CCTV cameras of the Iranian consulate. They also set tires on fire in front of the consulate’s building. 

On Tuesday, the director-general of South Asia at the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the Afghan embassy in Tehran to strongly protest against the attacks on the Iranian embassy in Kabul and the consulate in Herat.
Recalling the responsibility of governments in ensuring the security of diplomatic missions, the diplomat called for legal action against the attackers on the Iranian missions in Afghanistan.

The director-general also informed the Afghan chargé d'affaires that the consular sections of the missions of Iran in Afghanistan have ceased their activities until further notice in order to get the necessary assurances from the Afghan Foreign Ministry about the full security of the diplomatic offices.

Meanwhile, Afghan social media activists quoted local witnesses as saying that the Iranian embassy in Kabul is closed down for four days. 

In this regard, Na’eem al-Haq Haqqani, head of the Taliban government's information and culture department, called the gathering and attacks of an unidentified group in front of the Iranian consulate in Herat “an arbitrary act”.

He wrote on his Twitter account, “A number of people had protested arbitrarily in front of the Iranian consulate, and the demonstrators immediately were dispersed with the intervention of the security forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban). After the Taliban took action, the situation was brought completely under control, and since this move (attack) was controlled very quickly, nothing special happened.”

The Taliban official's remarks came a day after the incident when the men broke the security cameras of the Iranian consulate in Herat on Monday after attacking it.

Reports indicate that the attackers failed to enter the consulate when security guards fired air shots.  The riot reportedly ended with the arrival of Herat Governor Molawi Noor Ahmad Islam Jar at the scene.

He also visited the Iranian consulate in Herat last night at around 1:00 AM and met with Mohammad Sediqifar, the consul general.

The governor of Herat expressed his deep concerns over the Monday attack on the diplomatic office in Herat, saying, “We did not anticipate that the protesters would intend to attack and disrespect Iran.”
 
Islam Jar also promised that the security of Iran’s diplomatic properties and diplomats will be fully ensured and there are no security obstacles to the continuation of Iran’s mission in Herat.

Reportedly, the consulate is closed until further notice. 

However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh announced on Tuesday that Iran’s embassy in Kabul and its consulates in other cities in Afghanistan are open and are continuing their activities.

“Yet, it is expected Afghanistan’s interim governing body to responsibly provide the full security of diplomats and diplomatic buildings of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan,” Khatibzadeh told reporters.

This is the third attack on Iran’s missions in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021. Western seditions aside, the Taliban has failed miserably to provide security for the Iranian missions, much like their other promises. 

Struggling with the problem of not being recognized by the international community, the Taliban is undermining itself by banning higher education for girls, putting an extreme amount of pressure on women, and most importantly, failing to form an inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic and religious groups. 

For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a gracious host to Afghan refugees. 

“We have lived with our neighbors inside Iran for many years, and the best evidence of this gracious behavior and respectful hospitality is the uninterrupted wave of displaced Afghan refugees who choose Iran over many other destinations. We all see Afghan citizens living with us and using all the subsidies and facilities of the Iranian people in the same way,” Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

In his press briefing, Khatibzadeh said unfortunately some people are trying to ignore these facts and create a wave of Iranophobia inside Afghanistan and use the capacity of cyberspace to turn the falsehood into facts and transfer them to the minds and souls of the people of Afghanistan. 

He then said that the people of Iran and Afghanistan are very close.

“The governing body of Afghanistan should take its responsibilities seriously. The wave of refugees to Iran cannot continue and the responsibility cannot fall on the shoulders of just one neighbor, and Iran tries to be a good host; however, our capabilities are limited,” he added.