Image source: cfr.org
Iranian and Taliban officials met in Tehran on Wednesday and accused the US of provoking the continuation of war in Afghanistan, Iranian state TV reported.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told visiting Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar that the US seeks to continue the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
"The US strategy supports the continuation of war and bloodshed among various Afghan groups in the political spectrum" Shamkhani was quoted as saying.
He said the US tries to blame insecurity and instability in the country on individual Afghan groups. There was no immediate comments from the US, which signed a peace agreement with the Taliban last February and met its goal this month of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500.
Taliban representatives and the Afghan government earlier this month resumed peace talks in Qatar, the Gulf Arab state where the insurgents maintain an office. The stop-and-go talks are aimed at ending decades of conflict.
But frustration and fear have grown over a recent spike in violence, and both sides blame one another.