Iran-Taliban Border Clash Over Water Rights Escalates

Iran and the Taliban exchanged heavy gunfire on the border between Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province and Afghanistan's Nimroz province, amid rising tensions over water rights. Iran accused the Taliban of opening fire first and claimed to have inflicted "heavy casualties and serious damage." The clash comes after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Taliban not to violate Iran's water rights to the Helmand River. Drought has been a problem in Iran for 30 years, but has worsened over the past decade. The Taliban seized Afghanistan in August 2021, and tensions have been rising between the two nations.