Grand ayatollah warns against Iran's Taliban approach
The rare criticism came as the Iranian establishment is accused of attempting to canonize the Taliban amid shifting regional dynamics.
Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, one of Iran's most senior clerics, lashed out at the Islamic Republic's softened policy at a moment of rapid Taliban advances and widespread atrocities in Afghanistan.
Such an approach, the ayatollah warned, "is a grave and irreparable mistake." He cautioned the Iranian government not to trust a "terrorist" group "whose evil and murderous nature is no secret to the world." Golpaygani called on both Iran and the international community to "act with seriousness" to avert further "Taliban aggression against oppressed Afghans."
The remarks were made in reaction to what has been found to be the Islamic Republic's changing approach in light of the Taliban's control over swaths of territory across Afghanistan.
With the US and NATO withdrawal from the war-ravaged country and the consequent vacuum, Tehran has been increasingly seeking to redefine its presence in the new power play. Only last week, Tehran hosted a meeting between an Afghan government delegation and Taliban leaders as a sign of recognition for the latter's role in Afghanistan's political future.
