Iran condemns Trump’s remarks on Afghanistan

Tabnak – Although US President Donald Trump is known for his controversial remarks, his recent claims on Afghanistan has sparked a huge wave of negative reactions. After the Afghan government asked Washington for official explanation, the Islamic Republic of Iran also condemned Trump’s “racist” remarks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi condemned recent remarks by US President Donald Trump against the Afghan people as “racist” and said such comments threaten global peace and security.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mousavi slammed Trump, who said Afghanistan “would be wiped off the face of the Earth” if he wanted to win the war in the country.

The Iranian spokesman described the remarks as “racist and unacceptable” and said they endanger international peace and security.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran sides with the resistant nation and the government and intellectuals of the brotherly and neighboring country of Afghanistan,” he added.

Trump made the remarks on Monday at the White House, where he was hosting Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"I have plans on Afghanistan that, if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone," Trump told reporters. "It would be over in - literally, in 10 days. And I don't want to do, I don't want to go that route."

"The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate," it said in a statement on Tuesday.

"While the Afghan government supports the US efforts for ensuring peace in Afghanistan, the government underscores that foreign heads of state cannot determine Afghanistan's fate in absence of the Afghan leadership," it added, calling for clarification of Trump's statement.

Trump’s comments also drew condemnation from the Taliban, marking a rare topic of agreement for the insurgent group and the Afghan government. A spokesman for the Taliban condemned Trump's remarks as "irresponsible."

"Trump's policy that he does not want to play the role of a police officer in Afghanistan and that this war against an entire nation cannot be won so long as they are alive is something positive," Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. "However, his claim that he can wipe out Afghanistan, kill 10 million Afghans and win this war through such a method is irresponsible and we condemn it in the strongest terms."

The comments came as the top US diplomat for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, arrived in Kabul for discussions with Afghan leadership on the next steps to reach an agreement to end America's longest war. The US special representative's trip, as well as his meetings, had been announced by the State Department prior to the president's remarks.

Khalilzad is in Kabul this week "identifying a national negotiating team that can participate in intra-Afghan negotiations," according to a statement from the State Department. The Afghan government has previously refused to speak directly with the Taliban and expressed frustration about being left out of the negotiating process.