TEHRAN: Iran summoned the acting head of Afghanistan’s embassy on Friday after it said a visiting Afghan official disrespected the country’s national anthem by not standing, days after a similar incident in Pakistan.
After the incident at a conference in Tehran on Islamic unity, the Afghan representative apologized but said it was because music in public is banned by the Taliban.
A statement from Iran’s foreign ministry said a “strong protest” had been lodged following his “unconventional and unacceptable action”.
He accused Kabul’s delegate to the Islamic Unity Conference of “disrespecting the national anthem of the Islamic Republic.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs “condemned this action, which was against diplomatic customs”.
Afghanistan’s representative remained seated when Iran’s national anthem was played, mirroring a similar event involving Afghan officials in Pakistan.
“Besides the obvious need for the visitor to respect the host country’s symbols, respecting the countries’ national anthem is internationally recognized behavior,” Iran’s statement added.
Islamabad on Tuesday summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires over “disrespecting the national anthem” by Afghanistan’s acting consul general and another official at an event in Peshawar on Monday, Pakistani officials said.
Pakistani media quoted a spokesman for the Afghan consulate as saying the officials did not stand up because of the music and that there was no disrespect.
“Because the anthem had music, the consul general and an official did not stand. We have banned our national anthem because of the music,” the Afghan spokesman was quoted as saying.
On Friday, the Afghan official in Tehran for the conference released a video apology, saying he meant no disrespect but that sitting during anthems is their custom.
Iran shares a 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Afghanistan, but has not formally recognized the Taliban government since it came to power in August 2021 after US forces withdrew.
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