Members of the Iranian parliament from Sistan and Baluchistan province have urged the country’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to take “effective” action in securing Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River.
According to a newsletter released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the call was made on Saturday during a meeting hosted by the country’s Foreign Minister, which was attended by a number of deputies and senior managers from the ministry.
The newsletter revealed that Amir-Abdollahian considers the issue of Helmand River’s water rights to be an “inherent duty” of Iran’s Foreign Ministry. He also emphasized that all options and measures would be seriously considered in pursuing Iran’s water rights from the river.
Earlier this May, a member of the Iranian parliament, Habibollah Dahmardeh advised the country’s Foreign Minister to obtain a guarantee from the Taliban over Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River.
According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Dahmardeh raised concern about the possibility of a humanitarian crisis in Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran due to the water shortage and urged the Taliban to pay serious attention to this issue.
Similarly, on April 17, Amir-Abdollahian said that his country would not give up on its water rights over the Helmand River.
Iran’s water rights over the Helmand River have long been a point of dispute between the two countries. In a treaty signed in 1973, Afghanistan committed to the flow of twenty-two cubic meters per second into Iran. But Iran has long complained about the commitment not being fulfilled.
