Officials in the Iranian capital said they were keen to improve relations with the hardline Islamists in the neighbouring country and to curb the influence of other extremist groups in the region. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the talks were held with the knowledge of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and were intended to set parameters for negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Mr Qasemi said: “A Taliban delegation was in Tehran yesterday. They had comprehensive negotiations with the Iranian deputy foreign minister.”
The Taliban has been seeking to re-impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law in Afghanistan since it was overthrown in 2001 by US-led forces.
Its leaders insist the presence of international forces in the strife-torn county is the main obstacle to peace there and even as the peace process gathers momentum, fighting has continued with heavy casualties on both sides.
In the latest atrocity, an hours-long gun and suicide attack on a Kabul government compound killed at least 43 people.
Gunmen stormed the compound mid-afternoon after detonating a car bomb at the entrance, sending terrified government workers running for their lives.
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Some jumped from windows several floors high to escape the militants. Hundreds more were trapped inside buildings for hours as heavily armed security forces swarmed the area, engaging the attackers in a fierce gun battle punctuated by multiple explosions.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the raid, which caps a bloody year for Afghanistan as long-suffering civilians and security forces were slaughtered in record numbers.
Units of ruthless ISIS fighters have been increasingly active in Afghanistan in recent years, clashing with both government and Taliban forces and spreading alarm across neighbouring nations such as Iran.
The Afghan military has been forced to abandoned a remote western district bordering Iran, leaving the area to the Taliban after the government failed to resupply troops stationed there.
Taliban sources said this month they had also negotiated with the US officials over proposals for a six-month ceasefire in Afghanistan and a future withdrawal of foreign troops.
The US has engaged in several rounds of negotiations with the Taliban in November and December, with the participation of Gulf Arab states and in coordination with Pakistan.
White House envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has traveled back and forth in the region but so far there has been no breakthrough and rhe Taliban refuses point bland to directly negotiate with the government in Kabul.
Leaked in formation from Washington that President Donald Trump might reduce troop levels in Afghanistan has been seen as potential disincentive for Taliban to show flexibility.
If US negotiations with the Taliban fail to bear any results, Iran would be in a position to act as a broker between the Taliban and the Kabul government.