Former Afghan spy chief warns Iran of the consequences of close ties with the Taliban

Rahmatullah Nabil, a former chief of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, has warned Iran of the consequences of close ties with the Taliban. “The Taliban and its mindset is a lethal and lasting disease for the Afghan society and the region,” he tweeted in Pashto, warning Iran that “you will be infected with this disease, and it will have dangerous consequences for you.”

The warning came after senior Taliban officials, including the group’s deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, attended an event celebrating the 44th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic revolution in Kabul on Saturday 11 February.