TEHRAN – An Iranian lawmaker has called on the Taliban to abandon its use of language of threat vis-à-vis Iran and resort to diplomacy when to comes to Iran’s water rights.

The lawmaker, Fada Hossein Maleki, who is a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said differences between Iran and Afghanistan can be solved through diplomacy.

In remarks to IRNA, Maleki said, “We expect the Taliban to pay attention to the historical relations between the two nations of Iran and Afghanistan and to know that Iran has stood by Afghanistan in all situations. They should not use inappropriate language to address us. Some of the videos published on the internet show our border guards talking to the Taliban and they [the Taliban] use threatening language, which is not correct at all and is outside of international norms.”

Maleki, also a former Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, said Iran expects the Taliban to respect Iran’s water share of Helmand River, which has been at the center of tensions between Tehran and Kabul in recent days. “The demand of Iran, our nation and government from Afghanistan is that the treaty related to Iran's share of Helmand be implemented as soon as possible. The Taliban should pay attention to the international treaty regarding Helmand’s water share and good neighborliness,” the lawmaker added.

He continued, “If their negative behavior continues and they do not pay attention to international agreements and treaties, relations will definitely be damaged.”

Recently, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Taliban against disrespecting Iran’s water rights.

He said, “I want to tell the rulers of Afghanistan not to consider my words as normal, but to take them very seriously; I warn the officials and rulers of Afghanistan to give the rights of the people and the region of Sistan and Baluchistan immediately.”

Referring to some published claims that the dam built on Helmand does not have much water or that part of it is sediments, he stated, “Our experts should be given permission to investigate this issue as soon as possible, if our experts confirm this, very well, there is no problem; we have no dispute about the lack of water, but if there is water, this right should be given to the people of Sistan and Baluchistan and we will not allow the rights of the people to be lost in any way.”

Maleki said after Raisi’s warning, the issue of Iran’s water rights was put on the agenda at a higher level. “After the president's position regarding Iran's water share of Helmand, this issue was followed up at a higher level of the system and it was decided that this issue should be prioritized on Iran's foreign policy agenda,” Maleki noted.