KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has strongly condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iran, calling the attack and the killing of Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists a “blatant violation of international law.”
In a statement posted on X, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack violated core principles of international law, particularly the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
Mujahid also denounced Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, calling it “relentless and catastrophic,” and accused the Israeli government of ignoring humanitarian and international legal standards.
“The occupying regime persists in its violent actions with blatant disregard for humanitarian and international legal norms,” he said.
Mujahid called on all parties to act responsibly to avoid further instability and to help maintain peace and security in the region.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Iran early Friday, targeting military and nuclear sites across the county. Iran’s state media confirmed the deaths of at least three senior commanders and six nuclear scientists.
Among those reported killed were Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, and Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian media outlets also reported civilian casualties, including women and children, after strikes hit a residential area in Tehran.
Iran has vowed to retaliate. The country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had “committed a crime” and warned it should expect “severe punishment.”
In Afghanistan, former President Hamid Karzai and former head of Afghanistan’s peace council Dr. Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the strikes.
Karzai described the attack as a breach of international norms and emphasized the need for peace, saying the world “needs peace more than ever.”
Dr. Abdullah called on international organizations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to break their silence and take a clear and decisive stance against Israel’s “blatant acts of aggression.”
Several countries in the region, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and several other Arab states, also condemned the attack and expressed concern over the risk of further escalation.
