TEHRAN: Iran`s foreign ministry said on Friday that an upstream dam being built by Afghanistan on Harirud river restricts water flow and could be in violation ofbilateraltreaties.

Water rights have long been a source of friction in ties between the two countries, which share a more than 900-kilometre border.

Esmaeil Bagaei, spokesman for Tehran`s foreign ministry, voiced `strong protest and concern over the disproportionate restriction of water entering Iran` due to the Pashdan Dam project. He said in a statement that the Iranian concerns had been communicated `in contact with relevant Afghan authorities`.

`Exploitation of water resources and basins cannot be carried out without respecting Iran`s rights in accordance with bilateral treaties or applicable customary principles and rules, as well as the important principle of good neighbourliness and environmental considerations`, Bagaei added.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan`s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said in a video statement last month that the Pashdan project was `nearing completion and water storage has commenced`.

According to the video, the dam in Herat province will store approximately 54 million cubic metres of water, irrigate 13,000 hectares of agricultural land and generate two megawatts of electricity.-AFP