Sunday, October 4, 2026 | Panah Press
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Republic is closely monitoring reports of recent restrictions imposed by the Taliban on Afghanistan’s Shia community and the closure of several centers associated with them.
Baghaei said on Sunday, October 4, at a press conference held by Iran’s Foreign Ministry that the issue is “very important” to the Islamic Republic and has also been raised in talks with Taliban officials in Kabul.
He added that Iran has been pursuing the matter through engagement with Taliban officials and would continue to follow up on it.
Baghaei’s remarks came following reports that several educational, religious, cultural, and healthcare centers associated with the Shia community in Kabul had been closed.
Among the centers named in recent reports as having been closed or suspended are Khatam al-Nabieen University and seminary, the Tabyin Cultural Center, Tamaddon TV, Rah-e-Farda Radio and Television, Resalat School, and Al-Zahra Clinic.
There have also been reports of the arrest of Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, head of the High Council of Shia of Afghanistan, along with several members of the council.
In some cases, the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has attributed the closure of centers and institutions associated with Shia Muslims to issues concerning ownership and the government status of the land on which the centers are located. Officials from some of these institutions, however, have said that the land for their centers was legally allocated under the previous government.
Baghaei said that cultural, educational, and healthcare centers associated with the Shia community have provided services to the people of Afghanistan for years, and that Iran would pursue the matter through dialogue with Taliban officials.
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