The Taliban’s governance in Afghanistan has hindered regional cooperation on critical issues like shared water resources, according to a member of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
“The most significant issue we have faced during the Taliban's rule has been about water rights and adherence to legal matters, rules, contracts, and treaties previously established with Afghanistan, which unfortunately have not been respected,” Fada-Hossein Maleki told ILNA on Sunday.
The comment comes amid escalating tensions over the construction of dams on transboundary rivers, which has significantly reduced water flow to Iran’s drought-stricken eastern provinces. The Pashdan Dam on the Harirud River, recently completed by Afghanistan, is the latest flashpoint in a long-standing dispute over water rights.
Maleki further criticized the absence of mutual cooperation under Taliban leadership, observing that the group's governance structure lacks the mechanisms seen in previous Afghan administrations, which allowed for regional collaboration on shared resources.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, underscored the importance of cooperation as well.
“Afghanistan is expected to cooperate in keeping the flow of water and removing the obstacles that have been created,” he said on Thursday, pointing to violations of the 1973 Helmand River Water Treaty.
The dispute over water rights is also critical for Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, which depends on the Helmand River to sustain its wetlands, including the Hamoun Lake.
Once lush and teeming with life, the wetlands are now largely barren due to water scarcity exacerbated by upstream dams.
Hossein Sargazi, Deputy for Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Sistan and Baluchestan, warned about the worsening conditions: “All these measures threaten the inflow of water to eastern Iran. The situation in Sistan and Baluchestan has become very dire, and with the dust storms, the conditions are worsening.”
Sargazi also highlighted Afghanistan’s strategic use of water as a geopolitical tool. “The Taliban is seeking to establish hegemony through water. They want to claim control over mines, land, forests, and water, and thus require negotiation,” he said.
Afghanistan’s water management projects have drawn interest from foreign investors, complicating the situation further. Sargazi pointed to the involvement of nations like China and Turkey, which are leveraging the water sector to secure strategic footholds. The Pashdan Dam itself was constructedwith assistance from an Azerbaijani firm, showing the international dimension of the issue.
Iran has long struggled with securing its water rights from Afghanistan. In 1999, the Taliban halted the flow of the Helmand River entirely, leading to environmental and economic repercussions for Iran. While the 1973 treaty guarantees Iran a share of the water, enforcement has been inconsistent, often leaving Iran’s eastern provinces in crisis.
Recent diplomatic efforts have done little to resolve the matter, and officials fear that ongoing dam construction could trigger a deeper crisis in a region already grappling with climate change and drought.