IRGC Chief: Islamic Republic’s Military Are on ‘Full Readiness & Vigilance’ at Iran-Afghan Border

Following the departure of US troops from Afghanistan, begun in May, the Taliban terrorist organization has been carrying out successful military actions against government forces. More than a half of Afghanistan has fallen into the hands of the extremists, raising concerns about the future of country’s legitimate government.

The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, on Friday stated that the Iranian border with Afghanistan is secure while the IRGC, along with the police and army, are patrolling border areas, according to Iranian news outlet Press TV.

“The armed forces are present at the country’s eastern borders with full readiness and vigilance,” he noted on Friday morning, during a press-conference the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Salami also said that all of the official and unofficial border posts in the east of the country are under full control of the Iranian armed forces.

“People should not worry at all, because the scope of our observations has gone beyond the borders and we are monitoring and controlling all the developments in the neighboring country,” he said.

On Thursday, Iran temporarily closed its consulate general in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif and moved it to Kabul. The mission announced that it would only provide services in the capital for a limited period, vowing to resume activities in Mazar-i-Sharif as soon as the security situation stabilises.

Over this week, the Taliban have captured Kandahar and Herat, the two largest Afghan cities after its capital. The militants have seized the strategic city of Ghazni, which has crucial importance as it is located on the road from Kandahar to the capital, Kabul.

Among the captured areas are Herat and Farah, two of the three western Afghan provinces that border Iran.

The Taliban’s all-out attack started on 4 May, shortly after the US initiated the withdrawal of its troops. To date, the militants have established control in 18 provinces out of the 34, indicating that the terrorist organization controls over two thirds of the country.

*Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and other countries