News

The Iranian Government has been accused by Afghan and Western officials of delivering tonnes of weaponry to the Taleban, including plastic explosives, mortars, grenades and technical manuals.

Weapons and documents shown to Channel 4 News indicate that more than ten tonnes of weapons have been intercepted at Iran’s desert border with Afghanistan in the past year, with a tonne and a half recovered in the past week.

The reports come as General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, warned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran also provided a base for al-Qaeda operatives. Afghanistan’s intelligence agency estimates that about 60 per cent of the weaponry it has intercepted from Iran has been supplied by the Iranian Government rather than black market dealers.

In a report on Iran’s weapons smuggling to the Taleban — to be aired by Channel 4 News this evening — one Afghan Taleban commander claims that the Iranian border is assuming greater importance than that into Pakistan.

“Day by day the Iranian border becomes more important for us, especially now in Pakistan there are many problems for the Taleban,” said Commander Noori, a senior insurgent in Kunduz. “Many of the Taleban have been imprisoned and also they arrest any Taleban who comes out of the madrassas \,” he said.

Nato’s International Security Assistance Force said that the Taleban did receive weapons and training support from Iran, though it did ... >>>