Taliban claims: 'We will conquer Iran soon' amid water dispute

The Taliban threatened on Sunday that it could conquer Iran as tensions increase over water disputes between Afghanistan and Iran, leaving at least three people dead.

Senior Taliban commander Abdulhamid Khorasani, aka Nasser Badri, has in a video message warned that the group will fight against Iranians "with more passion" than they did against the US forces."We will conquer Iran soon if Taliban's leaders give the green light for jihad." pic.twitter.com/dodCIyUXp3

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 27, 2023

In a video released by the Taliban, a senior commander in the terrorist organization running Afghanistan warned that the Taliban would fight the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guard "with more passion" than they fought the US forces. He added that the Taliban "will conquer Iran soon if the Taliban's leaders give the green light.

As well as the Taliban commander's video, another video released by the terrorist organization taunting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi went viral on social media. In the video a Taliban member fills a single yellow jerrycan with water, sarcastically telling Raisi "Mr. Raisi, take this water barrel and don't attack, we're terrified."

Clarifying the reason behind the clashes

Iranian media has not explained what the clashes are about, claiming only in one report that they were to do with drug trafficking. Iran also claims that the Taliban shot at IRGC officers on the border first. The Taliban, however, claim the opposite.

Other media sources including the Associated Press (AP) and Iran International report that the clashes happened over a water dispute, a report that would explain the Taliban's video.

Earlier in May, Raisi warned the Taliban not to violate Iran's rights to the Helmand River which is shared between the two countries. 

“I warn the rulers of Afghanistan to immediately give the people their water rights," he said. "Take my words seriously now or don't complain later.”

Tensions surrounding the river have risen steadily over the last two years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US forces.

A treaty was signed between the two countries in 1973 involving an agreement that Afghanistan had to give Iran a certain amount of water from the river which flows from Afghanistan.

Reports claim, however, that Afghanistan has been violating the treaty with The National reporting that Iran has only been receiving four percent of the water owed. The lack of water is particularly significant to Iran as it faces a long drought - an issue that Afghanistan faces too.