Did the Taliban really warn the U.S. about attacking Iran?
Did the Taliban really warn the U.S. about attacking Iran?
Over the last 48 hours, several viral posts have overwhelmed social media platforms, and particularly X (formerly Twitter),
that Afghanistan under Taliban control has made a very bold statement: that in the event of the United States
intervening militarily against Iran, they will act in their own way…
and they will not stand idly by. However, one of such posts is dated June 16 and 17, 2025, and the statement is attributed to the Taliban, however, it is not confirmed. The post caused a heated stir in geopolitical circles as tensions in the Middle East surge and Israeli airstrikes in Iranian facilities multiply.
Did the Taliban really warn the U.S. about attacking Iran?
Did such a threat come officially out of Afghanistan, then? Or is it misinformation gone out of control again?
What We Know Verified Statements
On June 16, 2025, Al Jazeera issued a report which confirmed that Taliban government in Afghanistan had condemned recent Israeli attacks on Iran. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made a strong statement in which he said that the Israeli attacks:
“Comprise a direct breach of the very fundamentals of the international law, especially national sovereignty.”
He continued by stating that such attacks merely contribute to destabilization of regional peace and security.
This is an official statement which was issued by Al Jazeera which is a credible media house with a history of reporting in the Middle East and South Asia with first hand reporting.
But-and this is important- there is nothing official that Afghanistan threatened to attack the United States militarily in case it intervened in Iran.
What Unverified: The Quote that Went Viral
The much quoted If the United States intervenes militarily against Iran, we will do something of our own… is not found in any government official press statement, briefing by Taliban spokesperson or any reliable news media.
Although there have been numerous posts of the quote using such hash tags as #Iran, #Taliban, #WW3 and #MiddleEast, these posts are not associated with an authentic source, i.e., the official Taliban channels or internationally known news agencies.
Political influencers and unverified war-tracking handles boosted some of these posts, some of whom have previously shared unverified content.
Important Distinction:
What the Taliban did assert: The airstrikes on Iran by Israel are against basic international law and increase instability in the region.
What the Taliban did not say (so far): Threat of retaliation against U.S military involvement in Iran.
This difference is fundamental in order to avoid the circulation of incorrect or armed information that might actually fuel the already tense scenarios.
In the region, Why It Matters ?
This has led the Middle East into a new risky phase after intensifying of attacks between Israel and Iran. The proxies that Iran keeps with Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen are already engaged in tit-for-tat conflicts with Israeli or Western-backed forces.
In these mayhem, Afghanistan has been relatively silent on the Iran- Israel conflict- up until now. The political importance of Taliban condemnation of Israel is that it is in tune with the general feeling in Muslim world particularly those nations that are not satisfied with foreign policy of Israel.
Nevertheless, Afghanistan does not have a military, economic, and diplomatic reach that would be able to provide a significant opposition to the U.S. The idea of a Taliban-U.S. conflict should therefore be looked at with a pinch of salt.
The Taliban rhetoric is more of ideological aggrandizement than strategic real actions. They are talking to their constituency and to the Muslim majority states where Israel actions are found to be highly objectionable”, Dr. Sameer Hashmi a political analyst in Doha said.
As of June 17, 2025, an exhaustive search of:
Taliban’s official press portal
Afghan government Telegram channels
Statements by Zabiullah Mujahid
Reports from Reuters, AFP, AP, Al Jazeera, CNN, and BBC
…shows no official verification of the viral quote threatening U.S. retaliation.
The assertion that Afghanistan was threatening to attack should the United States intervene in Iran has not been substantiated by the first hand sources. Taliban has censured Israeli airstrikes and has stressed on respecting the sovereignty of Iran– but nothing has been confirmed that it would take action against the United States.
What’s Confirmed:
Taliban did not criticize the U.S, but Israel.
Al Jazeera told about the condemnation of Israeli airstrikes by Taliban as being illegal in the international law.
What’s Unverified:
No proof that Afghanistan said it would “take action” against a U.S. military operation in Iran. escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the Taliban spokesperson has condemned Israeli strikes on Iran, emphasizing the importance of respecting Iran’s sovereignty. However, there is currently no credible evidence to suggest that the Taliban would threaten action against the United States. Reports circulating about a potential Afghan response to a U.S. military operation in Iran remain unverified.