Yet even more momentous was that Mullah Mansour was returning from a trip to Iran, where he had been meeting Iranian security officials and, through Iran, with Russian officials. Afghan officials, Western diplomats and security analysts, and a former Taliban commander close to Mullah Mansour’s inner circle confirmed details of the meetings. The main purpose of Mullah Mansour’s trips to Iran was tactical coordination, according to Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. Iran facilitated a meeting between Mullah Mansour and Russian officials, Afghan officials said, securing funds and weapons from Moscow for the insurgents. But the meeting with the Russians was apparently a step too far, Afghan officials say.

Source: New York Times August 05, 2017 09:01 UTC