KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has released 300 million cubic meters of water from the Helmand River to Iran over the past year, according to Firoz Qasemzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s water industry.
According to IRNA news, Qasemzadeh explained at a press conference on October 7 that this water release occurred between October 2023 and September 2024, driven by heavy rainfall in Afghanistan in late March and April.
He noted that the water release has positively impacted wells in Zabul, providing reassurance regarding water supplies in the region.
Water rights over the Helmand River have long been a contentious issue between Iran and Afghanistan. Last year, disputes over these rights strained relations between the Taliban and Iran. However, tensions eased after an Iranian delegation visited a water measurement station in Urozgan, where they confirmed water shortages compared to normal levels.
Under a 1973 treaty, Afghanistan is obligated to ensure a flow of 22 cubic meters of water per second into Iran. Previously, Iran had expressed concerns that the Taliban was not upholding its commitments under this agreement, claiming to receive less than 4% of its entitled water rights from the river.
In response to ongoing tensions, Iranian lawmaker Feda-Hossein Maleki has proposed closing the Taliban’s embassy in Tehran and reducing political and commercial ties with the group to better secure Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has stated its commitment to the 1973 treaty but cites drought conditions as a significant barrier to meeting water flow obligations.
