Despite being criticized on social media for his sympathy with Iran after its top general was killed by American forces in Iraq, Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday once again praised the neighboring country’s role in Afghanistan while criticizing the United States.
Speaking at Tehran Dialogue Forum, Karzai said that despite US presence in Afghanistan, Iran took part in Afghanistan’s reconstruction, had economic cooperation and hosted Afghan refugees, according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
He said that regional and global cooperation fell apart following US entry into Afghanistan, adding US presence didn’t deliver what was expected.
Karzai said that after 18 years, Afghanistan is still suffering from war and its national sovereignty is breached.
Peace cannot be ensured in Afghanistan unless regional countries cooperate, the former president stressed.
Karzai urged US to take a rational path in dealing with Iran and return to the nuclear deal.
This comes as Hamid Karzai was the first Afghan politician who condemned the killing of General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. On January 3, he took to twitter and said the act brazenly violated the international law.
“I strongly condemn the US drone strike in Baghdad that assassinated Iran’s Quds force commander General Qasim Soleimani.
“This action brazenly violates all international norms and threatens to further destabilize the region,” he said
The forum was organized in Tehran amid growing tensions following the US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.
The forum was addressed also by Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif who said that regional countries should not sacrifice their neighbors for US or their own security.
In the meantime, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quraishi says rising tensions in the Middle East following the killing of Iranian Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani could hit the Afghan peace process.
