Iran urges Afghanistan to comply with international legal standards, environmental regulations regarding border rivers

Esmail Baqaei spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for Afghanistans cooperation in maintaining the natural flow of water in shared border rivers.

Esmail Baqaei, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for Afghanistan's cooperation in maintaining the natural flow of water in shared border rivers.

The spokesperson highlighted the enduring identity, cultural, ethnic, religious, and civilizational bonds between Iran and Afghanistan. He pointed to the nearly five-decade presence of millions of Afghan nationals in Iran, emphasizing that preserving and deepening relations between the two countries in various fields requires mutual respect for interests and the avoidance of harmful unilateral actions.

Baqaei stressed the importance of bilateral agreements, applicable principles of international law—both treaty-based and customary—and the natural rights of people living downstream of shared rivers.

He also underscored the principle of good neighborliness in the equitable utilization of water resources from rivers that have historically flowed from Afghanistan to Iran over centuries due to the region's natural geography.

He stated that Afghanistan is expected to cooperate in ensuring the continued water flow from the border rivers into Iran and to remove any obstacles that have been created.

Regarding the construction or filling of new dams in Afghanistan and their impact on water inflow to Iran, Baqaei said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly emphasized, through appropriate channels—especially via official diplomatic means and technical mechanisms—that the utilization of shared water resources cannot occur without respecting Iran's rights under bilateral treaties, applicable customary rules, the principle of good neighborliness, and environmental considerations.

The spokesperson clarified that the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed its serious objections and concerns to the relevant Afghan authorities regarding any disproportionate restrictions on water inflow to Iran or the diversion of the natural course of rivers that have historically contributed to the prosperity and environmental balance on both sides of the shared border.
He added that the Islamic Republic expects the neighboring country to make appropriate decisions, taking into account the interests and well-being of both nations, as well as international legal norms, treaties, agreements, and the principle of good neighborliness.