“One of the important points for us is the issue of security and stability in our neighboring countries. Afghanistan and Pakistan are both Muslim neighbors, and we believe that any discord in their relations could have cross-border repercussions,” Esmail Baghai told a weekly news conference in the capital Tehran on Monday.
It added: “The Islamic Republic of Iran called for dialogue and restraint on both sides and stressed that differences between Afghanistan and Pakistan must be resolved through dialogue and exchanges.”
The remarks came as Pakistan’s military said it had killed more than 200 Afghan fighters, while Afghanistan claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border clashes.
Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Sunday that 30 other Pakistani soldiers were wounded and a “significant amount” of Pakistani weapons had fallen into Afghan hands.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military said 23 “brave sons” were killed in the clashes, and officials said they had closed the border with Afghanistan.
Border fighting erupted after Thursday’s explosion in Afghanistan, which the Taliban blames on Pakistan, the sharpest escalation in months of tensions over Islamabad’s claims that Afghanistan harbors militants behind attacks inside Pakistan.
MNA/Press TV