KABUL - The foreign ministry in Tehran on Thursday summoned Afghanistan's charge d'affaires and lodged a protest with him over anti-Iran propaganda by some Afghan media outlets.
Mohsen Paakain, the Iranian diplomat in charge of Afghan affairs, expressed Tehran's serious concerns over what he called negative consequences of a security pact that was recently signed between Afghanistan and the US.

The IRNA news agency quoted Paakain as telling the Afghan diplomat: "Iranian officials have repeatedly voiced their concerns to Afghan officials … over US security threats in the region, particularly continuation of US military base in Afghanistan."

The Afghan media's recent propaganda against Iran was in line with the "vicious intention" of the states that opposed cordial relations between Tehran and Kabul, the diplomat said, hoping that Afghan officials would properly deal with the issue.

Replying to the concerns, the Afghan diplomat regretted the "poor performance of certain Afghan media outlets" and underlined the need for strengthening bilateral ties. Shah Mardan Qul also promised to convey the Iranian view to Kabul.

Iranian Ambassador Abolfazl Zohrehvand recently shared his opinion on the deal with senior officials in Kabul: "In our view, the consequences of this agreement are not restricted to Afghanistan and will have regional and trans-regional impacts ..."

Speaking to the state-run radio, he said: "We have asked Afghan officials to reconsider it (deal) more carefully…Afghans should take our concerns into consideration and make its decisions while considering the Afghan people's interests and the security considerations of regional countries."

Late on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul grilled Iran's first consular over the recent remarks made by the ambassador on the US-Afghan strategic partnership agreement.
Zohrehvand had asked Afghanistan's Upper House of Parliament to reject the deal -- a demand that infuriated lawmakers who alleged his remarks were tantamount to plain interference. The envoy made the remarks during a meeting with Senate Chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar.

A statement from the ministry said Najibullah Alikhel, the director for Middle East and Africa, discussed the issue with First Consular Syed Mohammad Kazim Naeemi.
It quoted Alikhel as saying that Afghanistan, being an independent state, reserved the right to sign agreements with any country and the accord with the US was based on its national interest and was in line with the United Nations Charter. (Pajhwok)