The US Secretary of State at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday blamed Iran for undermining the Afghan peace process and said the Iranian government has links with militant groups in Afghanistan.
“In Afghanistan, there is an aspect of the conflict that deserves more attention and that is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s involvement there,” Pompeo said.
“Iran has refused to join the regional and international consensus for peace and is, in fact, today actively working to undermine the peace process by continuing its long global efforts to support militant groups there.”
Pompeo said that Iran also has links with the Taliban.
“Most people know about Iran’s proxy networks in the Arab world, but the regime also has a relationship with the Taliban and related groups such as the Haqqanis, the Tora Bora and Mullah Dadullah group,” he added.
He said, “the Taliban’s entanglement in Iran’s dirty work will only harm the Afghanistan peace process.”
He thanked the outgoing US ambassador John Bass for his two-year mission in Afghanistan.
“His (Bass) two-year tour service in Kabul was remarkable at one of our most important missions. Ambassador Bass is a respected strategic thinker, a man of incredible integrity.
He has helped that country move forward to have brighter, more peaceful and more secure future for all the Afghan people,” he said.
