Iran not at point of recognising Taliban government: Tehran

Iran has not reached the point of recognising the Taliban government in neighbouring Afghanistan, the foreign ministry said Monday.

"Today, we are basically not at the point of recognising" the Taliban, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news conference.

"We hope that the governing body of Afghanistan will move, through its actions, in a direction that will enable it to achieve international recognition," he said.

"Iran and the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan insist particularly on the formation of an inclusive government which reflects the ethnic and demographic diversity of this country."

Shia-majority Iran, which shares a 900-kilometre (550-mile) border with Afghanistan, did not recognise the Taliban's rule - a Sunni fundamentalist movement - during their 1996 to 2001 stint in power.

The Taliban's supreme leader ordered fighters not to 'punish' members of Afghanistan's former 'regime' for past 'crimes'.

The order also urged Taliban authorities to discourage Afghans from leaving the country. https://t.co/X053RVhPhg

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 30, 2021

Iran already hosts millions of Afghans and feared another influx after the Taliban's power grab in August 2020.

Tehran has sought to sketch a rapprochement with the Taliban but distrust between the two governments still exist.

Last month, both sides exchanged fire following a "misunderstanding" at the border.

The Taliban has formed an all-male cabinet made up entirely of members of the group, and almost exclusively of ethnic Pashtuns.

It has further restricted women's rights to work and study, triggering widespread international condemnation.