The Iranian Embassy in Kabul has confirmed the attendance of the Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy, along with the Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan, at Friday prayers held at the Herat Grand Mosque.

According to the embassy, the high-level delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran participated in the prayers as part of a broader visit aimed at strengthening ties with local authorities and expanding Tehran’s influence in western Afghanistan.

The presence of senior Iranian officials at one of Herat’s most prominent religious sites signals a calculated diplomatic move to engage with the Taliban administration and bolster relations with provincial leaders in Herat and other neighbouring regions along the Iranian border.

Earlier, Iranian media reported that a delegation comprising the Deputy Foreign Minister, the Director General for South Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and the Governor of South Khorasan Province had arrived in Herat on Thursday.

During their visit, the delegation is scheduled to tour Herat’s industrial park, the Khaf-Herat railway project, and the Rozanak railway station. In addition, meetings are planned with the Taliban’s governor in Herat, other senior officials of the group, and representatives of the private sector. These engagements aim to assess Herat’s economic landscape and explore opportunities to enhance cross-border trade and infrastructure cooperation.

This diplomatic outreach comes as the Islamic Republic continues the construction of a border wall along parts of the Afghan-Iranian frontier, citing ongoing concerns related to security threats, drug trafficking, and unauthorised border crossings.

Despite persistent apprehensions over the Taliban’s governance and regional security, Iran has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with the group. This includes a recent visit by Iran’s Foreign Minister to Kabul for direct talks with senior Taliban leaders.