The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Nearly 800 cargo trucks have been stranded at the Afghanistan-Iran border after the Taliban’s shutdown of internet services disrupted customs operations, Iranian officials said Tuesday.
Ismail Pourabed, director of the Dogharoon border terminal,
told Iranian media that the stoppage began Monday evening when the Taliban cut
internet access nationwide. “Hundreds of trucks carrying commercial goods
remain stuck at the crossing,” he said.
Pourabed noted that the disruption is confined to the Afghan
side of the border, in areas under Taliban control. Trade operations on the
Iranian side are functioning normally, he added.
The blackout, which has already crippled Afghanistan’s
domestic economy, is now spilling over into cross-border trade and transit with
neighboring countries.
The United Nations has urged the Taliban to restore internet
and telecommunications access immediately, warning that the shutdown threatens
humanitarian aid, economic stability, and the flow of vital information.
