Iran says securing its water rights from Afghanistan’s Helmand River remains a top priority in its relations with the Taliban authorities, as Tehran continues diplomatic and technical discussions over downstream water flows.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday, August 10, that the Helmand water issue is a “constant, vital and strategic” matter for Iran and remains on the agenda of Tehran’s engagement with Afghanistan.
Baghaei said Iran was continuing to pursue what it considers its water rights under the 1973 Helmand River Water Treaty and claimed there had been “tangible progress” during the current water year. He did not provide figures or details to independently verify the reported progress.
The 1973 treaty requires Afghanistan to provide Iran with an average of 26 cubic metres of Helmand River water per second, subject to the agreement’s provisions. The river originates in Afghanistan and flows toward Iran’s Sistan region, where water shortages have affected agriculture, livelihoods and the environment.
Iran has repeatedly called on Afghanistan to implement the treaty and ensure the flow of water it says is guaranteed under the agreement. Tehran has also raised concerns over Afghanistan dams and other water-management projects that it says could reduce downstream flows.
Afghanistan has maintained that prolonged drought, declining rainfall and wider water shortages have reduced the amount of water available in the Helmand basin. Afghan authorities have also emphasized Afghanistan’s need to use its water resources for domestic consumption, agriculture and development.
The dispute has periodically strained relations between the two neighbours and remains particularly sensitive as both countries face worsening water scarcity.
Baghaei said technical and political consultations were continuing, but neither Tehran nor Kabul has publicly released detailed figures on the volume of water delivered to Iran during the current water year.
The Helmand River is likely to remain a sensitive issue in Afghanistan-Iran relations as drought, water shortages and competing demands increase pressure on the river basin.
