Deadly clashes between Afghan and Iranian border guards last week raised fears of a new conflict.
Both sides accused each other of instigating the shooting that killed at least two Iranian and one Afghan security guard. However, they have made measured statements aimed at de-escalating the situation.
Following the border violence, Iranian authorities have closed the Milak-Zaranj border post, a key trade crossing — and not the site of the clash — until further notice, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.
Although a treaty to share Helmand River waters has existed since 1973, the two sides have been at odds for decades. The river flows from Afghanistan toward eastern Iran.
What caused the fighting?
The reasons for the clashes are still unknown, but the shootout at the border post between Afghanistan’s Nimroz province and Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province came as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi earlier this month accused Afghan Taliban rulers of blocking the flow of water into the eastern Restricting regions of Iran is a violation of the 1973 treaty.
“We will not allow our people’s rights to be violated,” Raisi said on May 18.
The Taliban, who have denied the allegation, have called for “solving the issue” in line with the treaty. The Taliban, who have remained in diplomatic isolation since taking power in August 2021, said they wanted “good relations” with Tehran.
According to Sina Toossi, a senior foreign scholar at the US-based think tanks Center for International Policy (CIP), there is a lack of “a clear demarcation and understanding of border boundaries and rules” on both sides.
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban of flouting international laws and border protocols since taking over Afghanistan two years ago. Clashes erupted several times, but rarely resulted in fatalities and were regularly blamed on “misunderstandings”.
A day before the border clashes, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called on the Taliban to “comply with the legal framework” to resolve the water dispute.
“In recent years, this contract has not been honored by the Afghan rulers, including the Taliban,” CIP’s Toossi told Al Jazeera, adding that Kabul only delivered “a fraction of the agreed amount.”
“The increasing drought in Iran has exacerbated the situation, making the water problem more critical,” he said.
The Taliban issued a statement saying they did not want to “fight with their neighbors.”
The Iranian flag is displayed at the Milak border crossing between Iran and Afghanistan [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
What is the Afghan-Iranian water dispute?
The Helmand River, which is more than 1,000 kilometers long and flows across the border, is being dammed on the Afghan side to generate electricity and irrigate agricultural land.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), drought has been a problem in Iran for about 30 years and has worsened over the past decade. The Iran Meteorological Organization says an estimated 97 percent of the country is currently experiencing some degree of drought.
According to the Helmand Water Treaty signed between Afghanistan and Iran half a century ago, Afghanistan was to share 850 million cubic meters of Helmand water with Iran annually.
Both sides are also urged to resolve their differences through diplomatic channels and, failing that, through an advisory board headed by a jointly elected arbitrator.
Iran has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of violating the treaty and has spoken out against its decision to build dams on the river.
A watchtower between Afghanistan and Iran at the Milak border crossing, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
How did both countries react to the clashes?
The Taliban leadership called for such issues to be resolved “through diplomatic channels.”
“We don’t want relations with our neighboring countries to deteriorate. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is never in favor of escalation,” Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told the Saudi Arabian newspaper Arab News on Monday.
Meanwhile, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, head of the South Asia Department at Iran’s foreign ministry, has urged both countries to avoid conflict, saying it would be harmful to them.
“If the people and elites of both countries are smart, any kind of conflict will be to the strategic disadvantage of both countries,” he tweeted.
Analyst Toossi believes the border disputes have prompted both sides to de-escalate the situation and “reaffirm their commitment to dialogue and cooperation.”
He said there were signs Iran was open to dialogue, as the Taliban acting foreign minister met an Iranian envoy on the day of the clash to discuss Helmand River water rights.
Hirmand district on the border between Iran and Afghanistan [Al Jazeera]
Where does the Afghan-Iranian relationship stand?
As Kabul and Tehran “try to reconcile their interests and concerns,” Toossi says their relationship remains in a state of “uncertainty.”
“It is not clear whether the Taliban have withdrawn their fighters from the border or whether they will honor the agreement in the future,” he said after videos last week showed large numbers of Taliban fighters crowding the border with Iran approached.
He said the water dispute between the two countries is likely to remain a “contentious issue” as they face increasing water scarcity and demand.
Furthermore, while Iran maintained a dialogue with the Taliban, it did not officially recognize them as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.
The Shia-majority country has called for the formation of an inclusive government that would represent all ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan.
“Iran has raised concerns about the security and well-being of the Afghan people, particularly the Hazara Shia minority, who have faced persecution and violence at the hands of the Taliban in the past,” Toossi said.