Iranian and Afghanistan diplomatic sources have denied foreign news reports on the reopening of Iran's consular office in the Afghan city of Herat.
Iran's official IRNA news agency on Tuesday cited different sources to refute news broadcast by the Agency France Press (AFP), which quoted Radio Iran as saying that Iran has reopened its mission in Herat.
Morteza Mirhosseini, an expert on Afghan issues with Iran's Foreign Ministry, noted that the consul general of Iran has enteredHerat to assess the extent of damage there. But the official stopped short of saying that diplomatic activities have been under way.
He reiterated that the return of the Iranian diplomat to Herat does not necessarily mean the re-opening of Iran's consular office there, adding that the office can not get into the swing of its jobbefore the completion of the reconstruction work there.
The official, however, confirmed that the re-opening of Iran's consular office at Mazar-i-Sharif would be in "very near future," according to IRNA.
Meanwhile, a political source attached to Afghanistan's United Islamic Front's office in Iran said the news on re-opening of Iran's consulate in Herat sounds "astonishing."
In a related development, the head of Afghanistan's Mojahedin Party in Iran Touryali Ghiathi confirmed Monday night that Iranian diplomats have already been stationed at Herat consular office while their diplomatic activities are yet to kick off.
Iran is one of the key supporters of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, which has been progressing rapidly in the past few days.
Iran recognizes the alliance government headed by President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was ousted from Kabul by the now moribund Taliban in 1996.