The Taliban will aid and assist the Islamic Republic of Iran in the event of US strikes on the country, the group’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Radio Iran’s Pashto-language service on Sunday.
Afghanistan’s people would show sympathy and possibly cooperate with Iran if requested, Mujahid clarified, noting that this would not automatically pull the Sunni group into joining a retaliatory war against the US.
Additionally, the Taliban’s message is that they do not want conflict between the US and Iran, and would prefer to pursue diplomatic measures and continued negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Further, Iran “won” the 12-day war with Israel and the US in June, Mujahid affirmed, and will “win again” if the US attacks.
Iran will be able to “win again” as it “has the capability, is in the right, and has the right to defend itself,” he stated.
The Taliban, at the time, condemned Israel’s strikes on the Islamic Regime’s nuclear enrichment facilities, military leadership, and other strategic locations.
Iran, Taliban relations remain tense due to Shia-Sunni split
Tensions have existed between the respective Islamic Regimes of Iran and Afghanistan, largely following fault lines splitting Shia and Sunni, with Iran following Twelver Shia and the Taliban following a militant form of Sunnism.
However, the two governments have cooperated since the Taliban reclaimed leadership over the country.
In January 2025, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, hosted a delegation in Kabul led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss multiple issues, including water resources, Afghan migrants, and security of the shared borders.
Araghchi also met with the head of the Taliban government, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, during his visit.
Nevertheless, Iran has hosted several million Afghan refugees who fled over the past 25 years, particularly since the Taliban regained control in August 2021.
Some of these were accused of being Israeli spies, with Tehran alleging that they aided Mossad in gathering information for the Israeli operations in June.
Reuters contributed to this report.