Afghan Taliban confirm talks in Iran

KABUL, Afghanistan — A Taliban spokesman has confirmed that the Afghan insurgents have sent a delegation to Iran for three days of talks. The unprecedented meeting signals that Iran could be seeking the role of regional mediator between the Taliban and Kabul.

Spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Monday in an email that emissaries from the Taliban's political office met with Iranian officials over the weekend. He said a separate group of clerics attended a religious conference in Tehran.

An Iranian news agency said Saturday that Tehran had hosted a Taliban delegation.

The Sunni Muslim Taliban have long been enemies of Iran's ruling Shiite clerics.

Ahmadi also said the Taliban's political wing would accept any invitation for conferences, a possible good sign for so-far fruitless efforts to negotiate an end to the Afghan war.