Kabul, Afghanistan: Senior Afghan analysts on Sunday slammed comments made by the Iranian foreign minister, where he suggested fighters from Fatemiyoun, an Iranian militia made up of Afghan Shia migrants, could ‘help’ in Kabul’s fight against Daesh.
The Fatemiyoun Division is considered to be under the Quds Force, the branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for overseas operations, which the US and many other countries consider a ‘terrorist’ organization.
Tabish Forugh, an Afghan scholar based in the US, said Afghanistan should not “risk provoking unnecessary sectarian violence in the country.”
He added that Kabul could not, under any circumstances’ recruit IRGC militias used as mercenaries in the wars of the Middle East.
As part of a Tolo News promo that aired on Saturday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said: “These (Fatemiyoun) are the best forces.”
“If the Afghan government has the tendency, they can help the Afghan government to fight against (Daesh).”
Afghan government officials refused to comment on Zarif’s interview, which follows a series of bloody attacks claimed by Daesh in Kabul in recent months in which scores of people, many of them Shias, have been killed.
Zarif’s comments come amid ongoing peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban in the face of a planned withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan by next spring.
Zarif went on to defend the creation of the Fatemiyoun network by the Iranian regime, which is accused of bringing in tens of thousands of Shiite fighters from countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight in Syria. Iran denies this.
The Fatemiyoun Division was sanctioned by the United States last year.
“We need peace, not overtures for use of mercenaries,” Shafiq Haqpal, an analyst, told Arab News.
“Suggesting such an idea is like adding fuel to a flame that can become a big fire eventually. We do not want Afghanistan to become another Syria or Iraq.”
Afghan analysts say Tehran provoking sectarianism by suggesting Iranian militia ‘help’ Kabul fight Daesh
https://arab.news/j2tjy
Afghan analysts say Tehran provoking sectarianism by suggesting Iranian militia ‘help’ Kabul fight Daesh
- Fatemiyoun is a Tehran-created militia group made up of Afghan Shia migrants who fight in Syria and Iraq
- Zarif’s comments come amid ongoing peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban
Pakistan alarmed as Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies, calls for immediate ceasefire
- Pakistan envoy urges both sides to resolve ongoing conflict through peaceful means during Security Council briefing
- Russia last Friday fired hypersonic ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warhead at Ukraine, drawing criticism
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Iftikhar Ahmad this week expressed alarm as the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies, calling for an immediate ceasefire and demanding both countries resolve their issues peacefully through dialogue.
The development takes place days after Russia last week fired an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine called Oreshnik. The move drew sharp criticism as the missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads. Russia said it fired the Oreshnik in response to what Moscow says was an attempted Ukrainian drone attack on Dec. 29 against one of Putin’s residences in northern Russia. Ukraine denies Moscow’s claims.
February 2026 will mark four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the worst armed conflict in Europe since World War II. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.
“We are alarmed by the recent intensification in fighting with escalation in attacks from both sides, further worsening the already dire humanitarian situation,” Ahmad said on Monday during a UN Security Council briefing on the Ukraine conflict.
“Such actions not only perpetuate the conflict, but they also undermine trust, and the ongoing efforts for peace.”
The Pakistani envoy urged both sides to abide by the principles of international law and ensure civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected during the conflict. He said Pakistan’s position on resolving the issue through dialogue has not changed.
“Now, more than ever before, the overwhelming global opinion is on the side of ending this conflict through peaceful means,” Ahmad said. “This can only be achieved through a sustained, meaningful and structured dialogue.”
US President Donald Trump has been pushing both sides to strike a deal to halt the conflict, running shuttle diplomacy between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a bid to get an agreement across the line. Plans to broker peace collapsed after an initial 28-point plan, which largely adhered to Moscow’s demands, was criticized by Kyiv and Europe.
Ahmad appreciated the US for attempting to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.
“We hope that all sides would make full use of the ongoing diplomacy, demonstrate genuine political will, and engage constructively to make meaningful strides toward a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the conflict, starting with an immediate ceasefire,” he said.
