Iran Offers to Mediate as Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict Escalates into Open War

Tehran says it is ready to facilitate dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad as Pakistani airstrikes hit three Afghan provinces, with both sides reporting significant casualties.

Tehran, Iran - Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has offered to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan as the two neighbors edge closer to full-scale conflict, with Pakistan's Defence Minister declaring the countries are in a state of "open war" following airstrikes on Afghan territory early Friday morning.

Araghchi made the offer via a post on X, invoking the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan as grounds for restraint. "In the blessed month of Ramadan, the month of self-restraint and strengthening solidarity in the world of Islam, it is fitting that Afghanistan and Pakistan manage and resolve their existing differences within the framework of good neighborliness and through the path of dialogue," he wrote, adding that Tehran stands ready to provide assistance in facilitating talks and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Airstrikes Hit Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia

In the early hours of Friday, February 27, Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes across three Afghan provinces, including the capital Kabul. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the strikes hit parts of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia, and said the toll on the Pakistani side was significant — claiming 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed and 19 border posts seized in retaliatory Afghan strikes. Eight Taliban fighters were killed, 11 wounded, and 13 civilians injured in Nangarhar province, he added.

Pakistan disputes those figures. According to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan's Operation Ghazab lil Haq — launched late Thursday night — killed at least 133 Afghan Taliban fighters and wounded more than 200 others. The operation, Islamabad says, was a direct response to an Afghan cross-border attack on Pakistani troops on Thursday evening, which itself followed earlier Pakistani airstrikes.

India also condemned Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghan territory, adding an international dimension to the rapidly deteriorating situation.

Months of Escalating Tensions

The latest exchange of fire is the most severe in a months-long cycle of clashes between the two countries. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated sharply in recent months, with land border crossings largely shut since deadly fighting in October that left more than 70 people dead on both sides. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of harboring militant groups that carry out attacks on Pakistani soil, a charge Kabul denies.

The conflict now poses a serious test for regional diplomacy, with Iran's offer of mediation representing one of the first concrete international efforts to bring both parties to the table. Whether Kabul and Islamabad will accept Tehran's offer remains to be seen, but with casualties mounting and a defence minister invoking the language of open war, pressure for a diplomatic off-ramp is likely to grow quickly.