Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian warned his counterpart in the Taliban that their relations would be affected if the group does not eliminate the hurdles to Tehran’s water rights from the Helmand River.
Amir Abdollahian made the comments during a phone conversation on Thursday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Afghan foreign minister.
He said a high-ranking delegation from Iran's Ministry of Energy will visit Afghanistan to work on removing obstacles that prevent Iran from drawing water directly from the Helmand River.
Amir Abdollahian said that Kabul's decision to permit Tehran to use its water right would be an essential indicator of the Afghan government's adherence to its commitments to international law.
He pointed to the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan’s dependence on the river’s water, saying if the issue was not “expeditiously and seriously” resolved, it would have an adverse effect on the other areas of cooperation between the two countries.
The development of many hydroelectric projects on the river, most notably the Kamal Khan dam in Nimrouz province and the Kajaki dam located 160 kilometers northwest of Kandahar province, has exacerbated the situation.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi urged serious action on Iran's water rights.
