News in Brief
Tehran ready to ensure Caucasus security
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, expressing Tehran’s readiness to guarantee security in the Caucasus region.
In a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan on Thursday, Raisi expressed Iran’s opposition to the presence of outsiders in the region, Tasnim News Agency reported.
“We do not agree with the presence of outsiders in the region under the pretext of solving problems, and we believe that their presence will not only not solve the problems, but will become a bigger problem for the nations and governments of the region,” he said.
Tensions between the two Caucasus neighbors have remained high since Baku re-captured the Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh last September in a lightning military offensive.
Iran firm on constructing barrier along Afghanistan border
The commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces said on Friday that construction of a barrier along the Afghanistan border is one of the most important projects of the country.
Brigadier General Kiumars Heydari said that the construction of barriers like walls and fences is common in all countries, and no one can protest.
Heydari underlined that other countries cannot interfere in Iran’s plans to construct a barrier.
Heydari’s comments came in reaction to remarks by Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who had said earlier that Afghanistan is safe and poses no threat to any country, claiming that construction of barriers at the border should be coordinated with Kabul.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed earlier in the month Iran’s plans to erect a barrier along the border with Afghanistan.