A delegation from Afghanistan met with Taliban representatives in Tehran on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry said.
The Afghan government’s meeting with the group came as the extremist militia has swept through northern areas amid the pullout of US troops.
Opening the Tehran talks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the US departure from its eastern neighbor.
“Today the people and political leaders of Afghanistan must make difficult decisions for the future of their country,” Zarif added.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai headed the Taliban delegation while former vice president Younus Qanooni represented the government, the Iranian ministry said.
Meanwhile, The US Central Command announced that the American withdrawal from the country, ordered in April by President Joe Biden, was now more than 90 percent complete, underscoring that Afghan forces are increasingly on their own in the battle with the Taliban.
