Prominent Iranian media outlets have issued strong warnings over the Taliban’s expanding diplomatic engagement with Azerbaijan, describing the development as a serious security threat with far-reaching implications for Iran and the broader region. In a detailed article published on Thursday, July 4, the Iranian news agency IRAF raised alarm over the Taliban’s recent outreach to Baku, particularly following the high-profile visit of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban regime’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, who attended the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit in Azerbaijan.
According to the report, Baradar’s visit was not a routine diplomatic gesture, but part of a calculated effort to institutionalise ties with Azerbaijan under the pretext of economic cooperation. The Taliban reportedly requested formal diplomatic recognition by proposing the appointment of an official ambassador in Baku — a move that Tehran views as an alarming shift in regional alignments.
IRAF warned that the timing of this alliance is particularly troubling, given Azerbaijan’s close military and intelligence ties with Israel. It argued that the Taliban’s overtures could create an emerging axis hostile to Iran’s national security interests, especially as Tehran faces escalating tensions with Tel Aviv.
“The Taliban’s engagement with Baku is not merely about trade or diplomacy; it reflects a deeper strategic ambition to gain legitimacy and foreign support while continuing to rule Afghanistan through repression, exclusion, and ideological extremism,” the article stated.
Baradar reportedly invited Azerbaijani investment in Afghanistan’s oil, gas, mining, and renewable energy sectors, and promoted the Lapis Lazuli corridor as a new trade route for exporting coal to Türkiye via Azerbaijani territory. Officials in Baku responded positively to these proposals, expressing interest in joint ventures despite the Taliban’s international isolation.
IRAF condemned this cooperation, warning that legitimising the Taliban — a regime responsible for systematic human rights abuses and the dismantling of democratic institutions — poses grave risks to regional stability. It also cautioned that Baku’s pursuit of economic gain may inadvertently facilitate the Taliban’s consolidation of power and encourage similar partnerships with other regional actors.
“The Taliban’s diplomatic offensive is not benign,” the article concluded. “It is part of a broader strategy to reposition themselves in the international order, aligning with states that serve their interests and potentially acting as proxies in conflicts that threaten Iran’s borders and sovereignty.”
The Iranian media’s warning comes amid growing unease in Tehran over shifting regional dynamics, with security analysts urging vigilance against new alliances that may embolden extremist actors and undermine the Islamic Republic’s strategic depth in its eastern and northern periphery.
