Iran Urges US to End Its ‘Destabilizing’ Military Presence in Afghanistan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for an end to Washington’s “destabilizing” military presence in Afghanistan, saying that the Islamic Republic will continue to support its neighbor country during tough times and hardships.
“Look who's talking about the rights of refugees! A government whose campaign motto was to ‘build a wall’ and has been repeatedly condemned for its cruel border policies (e. g. separating migrant children from their parents), is lecturing the world about #WorldRefugeeDay,” the ministry said in a series of tweets on Monday.
It came after Robert A. Destro, who serves as the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, on Saturday posted a tweet claiming that the Iranian police had been involved in the incident affecting Afghan citizens, urging Iran to “respect #HumanRights and cease violence against refugees. #WorldRefugeeDay.”
“Iran and Afghanistan, as two brotherly nations, have strong, deep-rooted relations that is based on common historical and cultural bonds, and no ill-intended foreign provocation can undermine this close relation,” the Iranian ministry said in a follow-up tweet.
“For decades, Iran has hosted millions of Afghan refugees who have fled the war & clashes that were ignited by US meddling &invasion. We'll continue to support our Afghan brothers &sisters during their hardships,& again we call on US to end its destabilizing presence in our region,” it said in another tweet.
Iran spends eight billion dollars on Afghan migrants every year in various sectors.
According to the latest official figures, 951,142 Afghan refugees reside in Iran. In addition to the refugees, there are around 2.5 million Afghan nationals living in Iran, inclusive of passport holders and undocumented Afghans.
