Iran urged the Taliban on Friday to ensure the safety of its diplomats and staff at its consulate in Herat, western Afghanistan, following the announcement of the Taliban's control over the city, which is the third largest in Afghanistan. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh stated on Twitter, "With the Taliban's dominance over the city of Herat, we strongly urged them to guarantee the safety and health of the diplomats, as well as the diplomatic facilities."
Previously, Rasool Mousavi, an official in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, mentioned on Twitter, "Our diplomats, as well as those from the other three countries that are represented in Herat, are safe and in excellent health and have no concerns." Mousavi, who is the director-general for Western Asia at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, added in an earlier tweet: "The Taliban forces have taken control of the administration in Herat. The Consul General, the diplomats, and the consulate staff… are still inside the building."
A local official announced on Friday that Taliban militants had seized control of most parts of the city of Herat, which has a population of approximately 600,000, near the Iranian border. Ghulam Habib Hashimi told Reuters that government forces only control the airport and a military camp in the city. He added, "Families have either left or are hiding in their homes."
Earlier today, Afghan officials announced that Taliban militants had taken over the city of Firuz Koh in Ghor province in western Afghanistan without any fighting. Provincial council member Fazl Haq Ihsan and the provincial parliament representative Fatima Kuhestani reported that local officials and security forces abandoned the downtown area of the city this morning. They stated that the Taliban currently control all government buildings in the city, which has a population of slightly over 132,000, marking the 15th province to fall into the hands of the Taliban within a week.
In recent hours, two Afghan officials confirmed that the Taliban had swept into Lashkar Gah, the main city in the south and the capital of Helmand province, the largest province in the country by area. Officials Attaullah Afghan and Abdul Majid Akhundzada told the German news agency (dpa) that the insurgents had taken control of key government offices, such as the governor's office. Last month, the Taliban launched widespread attacks on government forces in Lashkar Gah and made advances toward the city center.
