WASHINGTON: A US news agency has claimed that Iran paid a hefty ransom to Taliban fighters and killed US and coalition officials in Afghanistan.
The US news network CNN, citing a joint report by the CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies, wrote that in 2019, Iran carried out six attacks on Americans and coalition forces through the Haqqani network.
The report said that according to the details of a Pentagon briefing received by the agency, the attack on Bagram Air Base in December 2019 was also carried out through the Haqqani network for which Iran had paid a heavy price.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran in January of using the Taliban and other armed groups to obstruct the peace process in Afghanistan. In addition, US officials have in the past accused Iran of supporting the Taliban. The allegations were repeated after the assassination of Iranian General Qasim Soleimani in January.
There have been similar allegations from the Afghan government, and this year Afghan police officials said Iran was providing anti-aircraft missiles to the Taliban.