The Taliban government has expelled a prominent Iranian diplomat from Kabul, citing that he “overstepped his boundaries.”
This action marks a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries.
According to a local source, the Taliban informed the Iranian embassy in Kabul that Ali Mojani, the advisor to the ambassador and Iranian envoy in Afghanistan, was no longer welcome. The source reported that Mojani had “exceeded his limits,” leading to this diplomatic fallout.
The Afghan news channel “Afghanistan International” disclosed that the Taliban gave Mojani only a few hours to leave Afghan territory.
This expulsion is seen as a retaliatory move after the Iranian government expelled a Taliban-appointed diplomat from the Afghan consulate in Mashhad.
The Iranian diplomat was expelled following an incident where a Taliban diplomat assaulted an Iranian photographer inside the consulate in Mashhad. The Iranian government labeled the behavior as “undiplomatic.”
Further complicating matters, Ali Mojani was barred from attending Eid al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque in Kandahar, where Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada was leading the prayers under heavy security.
Mojani shared on his “X” (formerly Twitter) account that he waited for an hour and a half at the mosque’s gate but was not permitted to enter, despite sending a formal request to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He expressed frustration that the Taliban did not adhere to diplomatic norms by failing to respond to his request.
Mojani stated that Taliban officials informed him that Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s office had denied his entry to the mosque.
