Afghanistan warns Iran war will impact whole region

Afghanistan said on Sunday that the war in neighbouring Iran would negatively impact the whole region and expressed "deep regret" over the violence flaring in multiple countries.

The Iranian flag was lowered to half-mast at the country's embassy in Kabul, an AFP journalist said, and a black cloth hung over the entrance following the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack.

"The recent political and security developments in the region have created unprecedented tensions that will have long-term negative effects on the entire region," foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi wrote on X.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its deep regret over the attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States, and expanded by Iran to target the Gulf countries," he added.

Balkhi condemned "the killing of innocent civilians" and called for diplomacy "preventing further escalation of the conflict".

Iran shares a more than 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Afghanistan and the countries have considerable economic ties.

At the Islam Qala border crossing on Sunday, an AFP journalist said it remained open and a black flag had replaced the Iranian standard.

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