Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that expanding relations with neighbors, especially Afghanistan, is a firm policy of Tehran.The Iranian Embassy in Kabul on Thursday published a statement on X that cited Khamenei as saying: “Expanding relations with neighbors is a firm policy of the Islamic Republic.“One of the declared policies of the government is also expanding relations with neighbors, and by the grace of God, good work has been done in this regard and some progress has been made, and the honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs is active and dynamic in this area.”Under Iran’s new president, Masud Pezeshkian, Tehran has signed several memorandums of cooperation related to trade and transit with Afghanistan.One key project, the Chabahar Port, has also received much focus.
This is the only ocean port of Iran on the Gulf of Oman, which enables the transit of goods between Afghanistan and India.The Chabahar Transit Project was created by India, Iran, and Afghanistan in 2016; Uzbekistan recently joined this project as well.The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) hopes to use this commercial transit route more – especially amid tensions with Pakistan.Currently, Afghanistan is Iran’s fourth export destination while Iran, along with Pakistan and China, are Afghanistan’s most important trading partners.The post Iran’s supreme leader emphasizes need to expand relations with Afghanistan first appeared on Ariana News.