US offer Taliban release Afghan funds in exchange for making Iran insecure

An Afghan speaker with Thomas West, special US State department representative for Afghanistan and deputy assistant secretary at Bureau of South and Central Asian affairs.
Photo: Tehran Times

A source revealed to the Tehran Times the reason behind Iran’s warning. The source said the U.S. put forth an offer to Taliban negotiators that could destabilize the region. The U.S. offered to release $7b in Afghan funds frozen in American banks in exchange for a Taliban move to destabilize Iran, something that the Taliban (banned in Russia) have not accepted yet, according to the source, reveals ‘The Tehran Times’.

In an interview with IRNA, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan said the U.S. is seeking to turn Afghanistan into a hotspot for the war-torn country’s neighbors. “Due to the long borders that we have with Afghanistan, the enemies are trying to create insecurity from this direction,” he said.

Iran steps up diplomatic efforts to stabilize Afghanistan amid a renewed U.S. interest in leveraging Afghanistan's woes against Iran.The envoy said a series of developments are taking place that are related to past occupiers.

“Yesterday’s occupiers are trying to create new shenanigans in this country under a new disguise,” he said, adding that the U.S. has replaced their troops with Daesh fighters. “The Americans are acting in such a way to prevent Afghanistan’s interactions with other countries,” he continued.

According to Qomi, the U.S. is using many leverages to “manage Afghanistan’s foreign relations.” He stated, “They use the blocked money of Afghanistan as a tool and lever for exerting pressure.”

“Therefore, in the policy of yesterday's occupiers, the continuation of instability in Afghanistan is important, because this country must become a critical area for its neighbors. This is while the countries of the region want Afghanistan to go towards stability, peace, and construction,” he said.

Qomi called on the Taliban leaders to be vigilant and move toward regional convergence and cooperation. He also urged the countries of the region to encourage the Taliban to prioritize convergence. “This is what we are following now and our consultations in Pakistan were within the framework of this issue,” he said.

The envoy’s warning about the U.S. using the Taliban to create insecurity comes after an important meeting between the Taliban and the U.S. in Qatar, where they held the first official talks since the Taliban takeover.

A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the two sides discussed confidence-building measures during the two-day talks, including the lifting of sanctions and travel bans as well as the return of Afghan central bank assets held abroad, according to Al Jazeera.

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