A number of women in Herat have strongly condemned the attacks by Pakistan’s military regime in Afghanistan, as well as the ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
During a gathering, the women emphasized that targeting civilians—especially women and children—must come to an end. They stressed that such actions are a clear violation of international humanitarian laws and that women and children must not become victims of war and political conflicts.
Herat resident Sosan Kazemi said:
“Our focus should be on Afghan children and the children of the Islamic world. No foreign force should attack women and children.”
Another resident, Sara Adeeb, stated:
“We Afghan women have long suffered due to wars, and today we can deeply feel the pain of women in any part of the world affected by conflict.”
At the same time, officials from the Women’s Chamber of Industries and Commerce in the western zone also stressed that women and children must be protected under all circumstances during conflicts.
According to them, with the escalation of tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel, women entrepreneurs have also suffered, and the situation has negatively impacted trade relations between Afghan and Iranian women.
Behnaz Saljuqi, head of the Women’s Chamber of Industries and Commerce in the western zone, said:
“Our businesswomen had strong ties with women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We held joint exhibitions and signed agreements, but unfortunately, with the start of the war, these relations have been cut off, and Afghan businesswomen no longer have exports or imports with Iran.”
Meanwhile, cultural officials from the Iranian Consulate in Herat also assured their support for Afghans under all circumstances, emphasizing that relations between the two nations are based on shared values and mutual cooperation.
Mehdi Hassani, a cultural official at the Iranian Consulate in Herat, said:
“The empathy and solidarity between the people of Afghanistan and Iran are not limited to recent events. For centuries, these nations have lived side by side. Whenever something has happened here, Iranians were among the first to help, and when something has happened in Iran, Afghans have also been among the first to assist. This is a source of pride for both nations.”
This gathering in support of Afghan and Iranian women was held a day after Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that several Afghan nationals had been killed and injured in the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
