TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran says a so-called peace deal between the Taliban and the United States is an attempt by Washington to justify its illegal presence in Afghanistan, stressing that only domestic talks can stabilize the war-torn country.

The reaction by Iran’s Foreign Ministry Sunday came a day after US and Taliban representatives signed a pact aimed at gradually withdrawing foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Iran said it “believes a lasting peace agreement in Afghanistan will only be achieved through inter-Afghan dialogue with the participation of the country’s political groups, including the Taliban, and by taking into account the concerns of Afghanistan’s neighbors.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes any development that contributes to peace and stability in Afghanistan and supports efforts being made in this regard under the Afghan leadership and sovereignty,” it said in a statement.

The agreement was struck in the Qatari capital, but while it creates a path for the US to gradually pull out of its longest war, many say it will pose serious challenges as the Afghan government has so far been sidelined.

The United States said it will reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan to 8,600 from the current 13,000 within 135 days of signing the deal, and work with its allies to reduce the number of their forces over that period.

Iran said it “believes that the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is illegal and is one of the main reasons for the war and insecurity in that country.”

“The withdrawal of these forces is essential to achieving peace and security in Afghanistan, and any action that provides the ground for the withdrawal of these forces will contribute to peace in that country,” the statement said.

The US launched its war on Afghanistan just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington accused the Taliban of harboring al-Qaeda and ousted the group from power. But the Taliban have remained a potent force and currently controls about 40% of Afghan territory.

“We are working to finally end America’s longest war and bring our troops back home,” said US President Donald Trump in a White House statement on Saturday.

Iran, however, said it regards the so-called peace agreement “as an effort by America to legitimize the presence of its forces in Afghanistan and is opposed to it.”

“The United States has no legal standing to sign a peace deal or determine the future of Afghanistan,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry statement said.

“We believe that the United Nations has the appropriate capacity to facilitate inter-Afghan negotiations as well as to monitor and ensure the implementation of the agreements reached” among  Afghanistan’s warring sides, it added.

The Afghan government said Saturday it stood ready to negotiate and conclude a ceasefire with the Taliban. It also affirmed support for the withdrawal of US and other foreign forces.

Tehran said while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, it is ready to provide any assistance in establishing peace, stability, and security in Afghanistan in line with Iran’s national security strategy.

“We hope that there will be a government established in Afghanistan that will have friendly and fraternal relations with its neighbors and be able to eradicate terrorism,” the statement said.

A joint statement by the US and the Taliban said a full withdrawal of all US and other foreign forces would occur within 14 months of the deal getting signed.

US forces have remained bogged down in Afghanistan through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Trump.

The war has killed more than 150,000 people in Afghanistan. Thousands of US soldiers and their allies have also been killed in the war that has cost the United States around a trillion dollars.