Fuel transit to Afghanistan ongoing

An Iranian official says the country is still sending fuel to neighboring Afghanistan on a daily basis without the slightest problem.

Iran has been used as a transit route to deliver fuel to Afghanistan from Iraq and Turkmenistan, Taybad Governor Mohammad Arefi told IRNA on Sunday.

He said fuel has been sent to Afghanistan via three official crossings on the eastern Iranian border since March 2010, adding “the transit has been running smoothly.”

“If this fuel is not reaching the people in Afghanistan, this problem lies with Afghan statesmen and they should be held accountable on where this fuel is being spent,” he said.

Since March 2010, around seven thousand fuel tankers have reportedly been shipped to Afghanistan via one of Iran’s official border crossings.

Earlier, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul voiced concern about reports that fuel consignments for Afghanistan are delivered to US-led foreign forces in the country.

“There are reports available that indicate the fuel transited to Afghanistan is supplied to NATO forces and we are very worried about it and we have conveyed this concern to Afghan officials,” Fada Hossein Maleki said.