The Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union of Iran confirmed to Reuters on Monday that it had begun shipping gasoline to the Taliban at the jihadists’ request.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, surrounding the capital, Kabul, and prompting the sudden flight of former President Ashraf Ghani. Taliban spokesmen have repeatedly used their public platforms to urge the world to fund their radical jihadist regime.
The Taliban is a radical jihadist organization branded an international terrorist group by a significant percentage of countries internationally, including potential distant allies like Russia. Most international experts consider Iran the world’s preeminent state sponsor of terrorism. While both the Taliban and Iran identify as Islamist, the Taliban is a Sunni jihadist organization, while the Iranian regime is the world’s largest Shi’ite government.
American and other international sanctions imposed during the administration of former President Donald Trump have largely reduced Iran’s ability to sell its oil around the world, making the Taliban a pivotal buyer.
Iranian oil union spokesperson Hamid Hosseini told Reuters that Tehran had begun shipping gasoline to Afghanistan “a few days ago” in response to the Taliban agreeing to a 70-percent drop in tariffs on Iranian fuel imports.
“The Taliban sent messages to Iran saying ‘you can continue the exports of petroleum products’,” Hosseini said. Reuters reported that the price of gasoline reached $900 per metric ton last week as Afghans used cars to escape from the country before the Taliban targets those who helped the United States over the past two decades.
“To counter the price spike, the new Taliban government asked Shi’ite Iran to keep the borders open for traders,” Reuters noted.
Taliban jihadists have repeatedly hinted that they anticipate significant financial woes in the immediate future, repeatedly urging the international community to invest in their terrorist regime.
“We need the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan need the budget. The [central bank] shall need the budget,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese state news network CGTN last week. Shaheen has repeatedly stated in interviews that the group hopes to see significant investment from nations like China — another ally of Iran’s — in the success of the Taliban.
In an interview Monday with the U.K.’s Sky News, Shaheen asserted that Afghans — attempting to flee Kabul in mobs of thousands surrounding the international airport — were not concerned for their safety, but seeking “economic migration,” implying they would stop attempting to flee if international investment in the Taliban grew.
“I assure you it is not about being worried or scared,” Shaheen said. “They want to reside in Western countries and that is a kind of economic migration because Afghanistan is a poor country and 70 percent of the people of Afghanistan live under the line of poverty so everyone wants to resettle in Western countries to have a prosperous life.”
The Iranian Islamic regime celebrated the Taliban’s victory in Kabul as a “defeat” for the United States. Tehran has previously attempted on multiple occasions to intervene in the Afghan conflict, hosting talks with the Taliban.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry called Monday for “continued humanitarian assistance” to Afghanistan now that the Taliban has taken control.
“While inviting all sides to maintain stability, we hope that the groups will make the most of the opportunity of the withdrawal of trans-regional forces to establish an inclusive government,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter or send news tips to pstarr@breitbart.com.
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