TEHRAN: Iran has decided to seal the Iran-Afghanistan border following several terrorism incidents. Since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan in 2021, terrorist activities in the region, especially in neighboring states, have surged.
Iranian media reports indicate that many terrorist organizations, influenced by the Taliban, such as the TTP and the Islamic State of Khorasan, have found safe havens in Afghanistan. This has led to a substantial increase in terrorist activities in Iran and other neighboring countries.
Fed up with the growing threat, Iran is implementing a plan to construct a 300-kilometer-long and 4-meter-high wall on the Iran-Afghanistan border. Earlier, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani highlighted that terrorist groups in Afghanistan pose a great threat to the entire region. He noted that terrorists entered Iran from Afghanistan during the Kerman bombing, significantly damaging Iran’s security.
Since the Taliban’s takeover, there has been a serious rise in terrorism and drug trafficking by illegal immigrants through the Afghan border. Over 8 million Afghan nationals are illegally residing in Iran, with 5 million already deported by Iranian authorities.
It is important to note that the eastern and southeastern regions of Iran are major routes for drug trafficking into Europe. This further complicates the security challenges on the Iran-Afghanistan border.
