Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the country's embassy in Kabul continues its normal operations two days after the lightning capture of the Afghan capital by the Taliban. Khatibzadeh said the Islamic Republic's consulate in the city of Herat, close to the Iranian border, also remains fully operational.

The statement confirmed earlier reports that Iran's embassy was among a handful of foreign missions still open despite the mayhem, including the embassies of Russia, China and Pakistan, countries which have signaled possible recognition of an emerging Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

In recent days, Iranian authorities have adhered to an official line of cautiousness, closely watching the alarming developments in Afghanistan while also refusing to publicly oppose or condemn the militant group. The same approach was adopted in the run-up to the ongoing situation amid the inroads by the Taliban, whom a hard-line lawmaker has controversially described as "one of the region's original movements."

In the midst of the phased withdrawal of American and foreign troops from Afghanistan, Tehran also played host to Taliban and government delegations in an apparent effort to get engaged as a key player in the Afghan political scene amid the vacuum triggered by the US pullout. In doing so, some Iranian officials and state-funded media have faced accusations of attempting to "canonize the Taliban."