A recent report from the US Defense Department claims that Iran is providing weapons, money, and training to the Taliban in order to fight US influence in Afghanistan.

According to the report, aside from supporting the Taliban, Iran also fights against the Khorasan branch of ISIS in Afghanistan. Pentagon says by supporting the Taliban, Iran plans on increasing its influence in the next government of Afghanistan which the Taliban will be a part of.

Based on the report, Tehran does not seek the Taliban’s return to power, but it is trying to maintain good relations with the group in case they are a part of the next government of Afghanistan.

The spokeswoman for Pentagon told the reporters on Tuesday that Iran’s support of the Taliban includes training small tactical units, use of weapons systems, providing small arms, explosives, mortar shells, rockets, heavy machine guns, and 107 mm missiles.

In recent years, US and Afghanistan officials have repeatedly accused Iran of supporting the Taliban but the Islamic Republic has denied the allegations.

Relations between Iran and Afghanistan become cold after the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested that the Taliban should be included in running the country.

This year, members of the Taliban’s political office visited Iran twice and talked with the Islamic Republic officials about the peace process in Afghanistan.

The government of Afghanistan has condemned these visits.