Afghan Taliban hold talks with Iranian official in Tehran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran says a delegation of the Taliban has discussed efforts to bring peace and end Afghanistan's 17-year war during a rare visit to Tehran. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi, Taliban representatives met with Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss a regional peace process against the background of China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran working ever more closely to help foster an all-parties peace process for Afghanistan. “However, we have made it clear to all the stakeholders that we will not talk to the Afghan government.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also said the leaders of the group would not talk to the Afghan government. LONDON (Reuters) - Iran said Taliban representatives from Afghanistan negotiated with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday, as the Islamic Republic seeks to advance peace talks in the neighbouring country to curb the influence of other Islamist groups. Taliban landed in Tehran just days after its country’s top security leadership Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council visited Kabul, where he met with Afghan officials, and said they held talks with the Taliban to bring peace in Afghanistan. This comes after Taliban representatives met this month with the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation in Abu Dhabi where the two sides discussed the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
The Taliban reject peace talks with the Afghan government.