Iranian Minister of Energy, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, said in a press conference on Wednesday that “we will not compromise on water rights in any way, referring to Helmand River Rights.
According to Mehrabian, Iran’s water rights from the Helmand River should be released and allowed to enter the country.
“We will not fail in any way. It is not enough that the Afghan side only verbally recognizes this right,” said Mehrabian.
“We will be satisfied when this right of water is released according to the contract and reaches the country,” he added.
Earlier, he warned, “Although our water share has not been given, we are taking necessary measures to supply water to the people.”
In recent months, the Iranian delegation discussed the disputed water resource with the Afghanistan authorities.
Both sides agreed to take immediate action based on the 1973 accord, and the current interim regime of Kabul assured that they are committed to Iran’s water rights.
Iran has negotiated numerous times with the Taliban leadership since they seized the country. Iran criticized Afghanistan for breaking the conditions of the accord at the same time.
The Helmand River rises in the Hindu Kush Mountains, not far from Kabul, flows through Afghanistan, and enters the Hamoun wetlands of Iran in Sistan-Baluchistan province. In the past, Lake Hamoun, one of the most significant wetlands in the world, covered an area of 4,000 square kilometres between Iran and Afghanistan.
The agreement was never implemented since Afghanistan had four decades of turmoil. Therefore all the rivers, including Helmand, flow to the neighbouring countries.
