Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (IRNA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian raised the topic of Iran's water rights with the Taliban government’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.

During a phone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian underlined that releasing Iran's water share of the Helmand River is a "serious demand" of Tehran that could undermine bilateral relations.

The top Iranian diplomat stressed the need for the full implementation of a 1973 water-sharing treaty between Iran and Afghanistan, under which Iran is annually entitled to receive 820 million cubic meters of water from the Helmand River.

Due to decades of instability and conflicts in Afghanistan, the 1973 agreement has never been fully implemented

Amir-Abdollahian suggested that a joint technical committee analyze the state of Afghanistan's water resources.

The Iranian Foreign Minister expressed hopes that Afghan officials will take the required steps to resolve the disagreement.

On his part, Muttaqi reaffirmed the Taliban government's commitment to meeting its duties under the 1973 treaty and underlined existing attempts to settle the issue.

IRNA noted that Amir-Abdollahian is scheduled to visit the southeastern region of Sistan and Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan, to follow up on the matter.