Iran-Israel Conflict Halts Fuel Imports to Afghanistan

A significant portion of Afghanistan’s imports, including oil and liquefied gas, comes from Iran.

Local officials in Herat report that due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the import of oil and gas from Iran has been suspended. Simultaneously, the prices of gas and petroleum products have surged in Herat.

Sediqullah Mansour, head of the trade department at the Herat Directorate of Oil and Gas, said: “Since the war between Iran and Israel began, imports of petroleum products and liquefied gas through the Nimroz border, Mil 78 in Farah province, and the Islam Qala port in Herat province have been completely halted. Previously, we imported up to 2,000 tons of petroleum products and gas daily, but this process is now stopped.”

Meanwhile, some Herat residents say that over the past two days, the prices of liquefied gas and fuel have risen by nearly fifteen percent. They express concern that given the current economic challenges, many people cannot afford to buy gas and petroleum products at elevated prices.

Jamshid Azizi, a Herat resident, said: “Previously, we used to buy a kilogram of liquefied gas for 48 to 50 afghani, but today we paid 63 to 65 afghani per kilo.”

Firoz Ahmad Amini, a gas seller, said: “Due to Israel’s attack on Iran and the closure of borders, the prices of gas and petroleum products have gone up.”

Naveed Ahmadi, a manager at a fuel station in Herat, said: “Fuel has become very scarce in the market, which is the main reason for the price hike.”

However, the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment stated that imports of petroleum products and liquefied gas from Central Asian countries continue, with over 1,200 tons entering the country daily through the Torghundi port alone. They also plan to increase imports from Central Asia to meet domestic demand.

Younus Qazizadah, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “We have alternative routes for supplying goods and fuel. Traders have been importing from Central Asia through the Hairatan, Aqina, and Torghundi ports and are striving to increase the volume. If we face any issues with the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will use other borders to supply fuel.”

A significant portion of Afghanistan’s imports, including oil and liquefied gas, comes from Iran. The ongoing war between Iran and Israel has disrupted trade relations between the two countries and affected the import process.

Iran-Israel Conflict Halts Fuel Imports to Afghanistan
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UN: Over 632,000 Afghan Migrants Returned from Iran in Five Months

Tolo News

14 June 2025

IOM has reported an increase in the return of Afghan migrants from Iran, stating that in May alone, over 15,000 families returned to Afghanistan.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 632,000 Afghan migrants returned from Iran in the first five months of this year alone.

Many of these returns have taken place without proper legal procedures, and returning migrants have complained of mistreatment and harsh conditions in Iran.

Faramarz Barzin, spokesperson for UNHCR, told TOLOnews: “From January 1 to May 31, 2025, more than 632,000 people have returned from Iran to Afghanistan. If we calculate the daily average since April 1, around 5,500 individuals return from Iran each day.”

Similarly, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported an increase in the return of Afghan migrants from Iran, stating that in May alone, over 15,000 families returned to Afghanistan.

Yasin and Abdullah, two friends from the same province, had migrated to Iran two years ago due to lack of job opportunities in Afghanistan and have recently returned. They were arrested about a month ago in Iran and deported along with dozens of other migrants.

Yasin told TOLOnews: “They deported us from Kerman to Zahedan, and from Zahedan to Afghanistan. They didn’t provide proper food, and the police treated us badly. We worked for two years, but our employer still has our money. There are no jobs here either.”

Abdullah, another deported migrant, said: “We ask the Islamic Emirate to create job opportunities here so we don’t have to go to Iran again.”

Some migrant rights activists have urged host countries, especially Iran, to treat Afghan migrants with dignity and humanity.

Mohammad Khan Talebi Mohammadzai, a migrant rights activist, told TOLOnews: “Considering human dignity, host governments must respect Article 2 of the Human Rights Charter and postpone such deportations.”

Earlier, Iranian authorities announced that all Afghan migrants holding a return permit must leave the country by July 6, 2025 (15 Saratan 1404).

UN: Over 632,000 Afghan Migrants Returned from Iran in Five Months
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Afghanistan Braces for Economic Fallout from Iran–Israel Conflict

The volume of trade between Afghanistan and Iran reaches three billion dollars annually.

Officials from the Islamic Emirate have stated that the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel will negatively affect trade and economic relations between Kabul and Tehran.

The Deputy Minister of Economy told TOLOnews that these clashes could lead to price hikes in several commodities, particularly fuel, and that the Islamic Emirate is working to find alternative routes and strategies.

Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister of economy, said: “Any conflict and continued hostility between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel can negatively impact our economic and trade exchanges, especially by raising prices in the fuel sector. The Islamic Emirate is actively working on identifying alternative approaches to minimize negative effects on the country’s economic conditions.”

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment also considers Iran a major economic partner of Afghanistan and warned that military conflict between Iran and Israel will have adverse economic consequences for Afghanistan as well.

Khan Jan Alokozai, a member of the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “These tensions and the problems arising from Israel’s missile attacks on Iran, which have led to the start of war, are also worrying for us. It has caused concern and will directly impact our economy.”

Mir Shakir Yaqubi, an economic analyst, said: “It is clear that a conflict between Iran and Israel will raise global oil prices, and for Afghanistan, which heavily relies on imported energy, this will naturally lead to increased transportation costs and prices for imported raw materials. Additionally, transit routes such as Chabahar and Islam Qala may be disrupted.”

The volume of trade between Afghanistan and Iran reaches three billion dollars annually. After Iraq, Afghanistan is considered Iran’s second-largest economic partner.

The Islam Qala crossing in Herat, Milak in Nimroz, and Mahirood in Farah are recognized as official border crossings between Afghanistan and Iran, used for imports, exports, transit, and passenger movement between the two countries.

Afghanistan Braces for Economic Fallout from Iran–Israel Conflict
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Afghan Migrants in Iran Alarmed as Iran–Israel Conflict Escalates

These migrants, who have long struggled with economic and legal challenges, are now gripped by fears over the potential consequences of this new crisis.

As tensions between Iran and Israel intensify and aerial attacks escalate, the Afghan migrant community residing in Iran report a new wave of anxiety about their situation.

These migrants, who have long struggled with economic and legal challenges, are now gripped by fears over the potential consequences of this new crisis.

Marufa, an Afghan migrant in Iran, said: “Israel’s attack on Iran has worried all migrants. We, who fled from Afghanistan to seek refuge in Iran—if war breaks out here, where will these migrants turn for safety?”

Migrant rights activists warn that continued security tensions could further increase pressure on the Afghan migrant community.

Jumakhan Pouya, a migrant rights activist, said: “We expect international organizations such as UNHCR, IOM, and other human rights institutions to stay in close contact with the Iranian government and advocate for the rights of Afghan migrants in this country—especially under current conditions.”

Political experts believe that the conflict between Iran and Israel is damaging the region, and countries like Afghanistan, which have sent a large number of migrants to Iran, must seek mechanisms to protect their citizens abroad.

Sayed Moqaddam Amin, a political analyst, said: “The negative effects of this situation on regional countries—especially Afghanistan—and ultimately on Afghan migrants, are inevitable. Therefore, government officials must reach agreements with relevant Iranian institutions to prevent Afghan citizens and migrants from being harmed.”

In recent years, pressure on Afghan migrants in Iran has increased.

Iran has repeatedly introduced plans to repatriate Afghan migrants. The latest of these includes setting a deadline for the departure of undocumented migrants by 15 Saratan 1404 in the Solar Hijri calendar.

Afghan Migrants in Iran Alarmed as Iran–Israel Conflict Escalates
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Over 100,000 Afghans Reside in France, French Immigration Official Confirms

Khaama Press

Over 100,000 Afghans now reside in France, benefiting from protective asylum policies amid rising migration since the Taliban takeover.

Didier Leschi, Director General of the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), has confirmed that over 100,000 Afghan nationals currently reside in France, making them one of the largest immigrant communities in the country.

In an interview with InfoMigrants on June 12, Leschi noted that Afghans have consistently ranked among the top ten nationalities holding long-term residency in France over the past decade. Their presence has grown steadily, particularly after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021.

According to Leschi, Afghan refugees in France benefit from a relatively protective asylum system. He explained that while most Afghan asylum seekers are low-educated young men, a significant proportion of Afghan women arriving in France possess higher education, indicating a diverse demographic profile within the community.

He further added that in 2014, only 472 asylum applications were submitted by Afghans, but this number surged to over 17,500 in 2023, illustrating a dramatic rise in migration in the wake of Afghanistan’s political and humanitarian crisis.

The increase in applications is closely linked to the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, which triggered widespread insecurity, human rights violations, and economic collapse—factors that have driven tens of thousands of Afghans to seek refuge in Europe, particularly in countries like France and Germany.

While France offers a structured asylum and integration framework, the sharp rise in Afghan migration presents logistical and social integration challenges, especially for low-skilled individuals. Meanwhile, Afghan women, many of whom arrive with academic and professional qualifications, may face fewer obstacles in adapting.

As France continues to manage this demographic shift, the government is expected to balance humanitarian obligations with integration policies, ensuring safety and opportunity for Afghans, while maintaining social cohesion.

Over 100,000 Afghans Reside in France, French Immigration Official Confirms
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Over 10 million Afghans displaced amid global surge in forced migration: UNHCR Report

Khaama Press

Over 10 million Afghans are displaced, UNHCR reports, as global forced migration reaches 122 million due to conflict and persecution.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that the number of people forcibly displaced by war, violence, and persecution worldwide has surpassed 122 million. The figure, released on Thursday in the agency’s annual report, marks a sharp increase of 2 million compared to the previous year and has nearly doubled over the past decade.

According to the report, over 10 million Afghans have been forcibly displaced, making Afghanistan one of the top three countries contributing to the global refugee and internally displaced population. The situation in Afghanistan remains dire due to a mix of long-standing conflict, economic instability, and recurring natural disasters such as drought.

Sudan currently accounts for the highest number of displaced people globally, with more than 14 million individuals affected. Syria follows with 13.5 million, Afghanistan with 10.3 million, and Ukraine with around 8.8 million, reflecting the ongoing toll of protracted crises and wars on civilian populations.

The report highlights a notable 9% rise in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), now reaching over 73 million globally. These individuals remain within their home countries but are forced to flee their original homes due to security threats and environmental hardships.

Afghanistan has faced more than forty years of war, from the Soviet invasion to civil war, U.S. intervention, and the Taliban’s return. These conflicts have forced millions to flee, mostly to Iran, Pakistan, and parts of Europe.

The UNHCR warns that recent forced repatriations of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan are occurring under unsafe conditions. Thousands are being returned daily despite political instability and lack of infrastructure to support their reintegration.

With limited access to basic services, housing, and employment, returning Afghans face extreme vulnerability. The international community is urged to address the root causes of displacement and provide adequate support to both displaced populations and host countries.

Over 10 million Afghans displaced amid global surge in forced migration: UNHCR Report
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US Defense Secretary: NATO Played Minimal Role in Afghan War

He emphasized that other NATO member states must enhance their defense capabilities to meet the standards outlined in the alliance’s charter.

Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, described NATO allies’ contribution to the war in Afghanistan as minimal during a session in the US Senate.

He emphasized that other NATO member states must enhance their defense capabilities to meet the standards outlined in the alliance’s charter.

Hegseth added that during NATO’s presence in Afghanistan, there was a lack of real capability on the battlefield, and most of the burden was shouldered by US forces. He said: “We also wore a patch on our shoulder. Yes. That said ISAF, International Security Assistance Force. And you know what the joke was? That it stood for, I saw Americans fighting. Because what ultimately was a lot of flags, a lot of flags, was not a lot of on-the-ground capability.”

Some political analysts believe the 20-year presence of the US and NATO in Afghanistan was primarily to achieve geopolitical objectives—not nation-building—which is why it was ultimately unsuccessful.

Moin Gul Samkani, a political analyst, stated: “They intended to obstruct China, Russia, and Iran, and to disrupt China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative—not to rebuild Afghanistan.”

Sadeq Shinwari, a military affairs expert, said: “The chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, which ended in failure, reflected the flawed political strategies of these countries toward Afghanistan.”

Previously, Donald Trump had also repeatedly criticized the US military strategy, saying the American military had been deployed for so-called nation-building missions in countries that had no real need for US military presence.

US Defense Secretary: NATO Played Minimal Role in Afghan War
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Home Office backs down on asylum refusal for female Afghan activist

The Guardian

Thu 12 Jun 2025

An Afghan woman who risked her life defending human rights in her home country has been allowed to stay in the UK after a Home Office U-turn.

The Guardian previously reported on the case of Mina*, whose asylum claim was rejected by the Home Office despite her high-profile work in Afghanistan. She worked for western government-backed projects and was involved in training and mentoring women across the country, which put her in grave danger even before the Taliban took over in 2021.

Home Office officials had said in their refusal letter: “It is considered that you do not face a real risk of persecution or harm on your return to Afghanistan on the basis of your claimed adverse attention by the Taliban.”

Mina’s lawyers lodged an appeal against the refusal but before the appeal was heard the Home Office sent a new letter granting refugee status, saying: “We accept you have a well-founded fear of persecution and therefore cannot return to your country, Afghanistan.”

Mina said she was thrilled about the government’s change of heart. “I had been living in sorrow for a long time,” she said. “But now, good news has finally come, and it has overwhelmed me with joy and happiness. The word ‘freedom’ immediately popped into my head – a freedom to move forward with my life in the UK, a freedom which is taken from millions of Afghan women.”

Her solicitor, Jamie Bell at Duncan Lewis, said: “I am delighted that Mina has finally been granted asylum. She is an astonishingly kind and brave women who never should have had her clear right to asylum doubted for one second.

“It is essential for the home secretary to confirm that all Afghan women are entitled to asylum to ensure that horrendous mistakes like Mina’s case do not happen again.”

The initial refusal of Mina’s claim comes at a time that the asylum grant for Afghanistan has fallen dramatically from a rate of 98.5% in the last quarter of 2023 to 36% in the last quarter of 2024.

According to freedom of information data shared with the Guardian in 2022, 77 appeals against Home Office refusals of Afghan asylum claims were lodged in the immigration court. In 2024 that number jumped to 3,293.

“The fall in the grant rate will not lead to an increase in removal action,” Bell added. “The UK does not acknowledge the Taliban and does not have an agreement to return anyone. The consequence of this startling policy change is that thousands will remain in limbo for years, unable to work whilst their cases are decided by the overburdened court system.”

In a separate case, the Home Office has granted a visa and agreed to fly to the UK a woman who worked to counter violence against women in Afghanistan. She has spent most of her time in hiding since the Taliban takeover of her country.

Mia Lucy Forton, a caseworker at Duncan Lewis, said: “For over three years, our client has lived under the constant threat of detection by the Taliban. Despite the encroachment on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, she has remained unwavering in her commitment to advocate for the rights of women in her country.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

* Names have been changed

Home Office backs down on asylum refusal for female Afghan activist
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45 minutes to pack up a lifetime as Pakistan’s foreigner crackdown sends Afghans scrambling

By ELENA BECATOROS
Pakistan wants to expel three million Afghans by the end of this year, saying they are in the country illegally, but many have lived there for decades. Returning refugees have been forced to head to a camp across the border, in Torkham, where thousands arrive every week and face a new future in a country they don’t know. Pakistan denies targeting Afghans and says everyone leaving is treated humanely and with dignity.

TORKHAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The order was clear and indisputable, the timeline startling. You have 45 minutes to pack up and leave Pakistan forever.

Sher Khan, a 42-year-old Afghan, had returned home from his job in a brick factory. He stared at the plainclothes policeman on the doorstep, his mind reeling. How could he pack up his whole life and leave the country of his birth in under an hour?

In the blink of an eye, the life he had built was taken away from him. He and his wife grabbed a few kitchen items and whatever clothes they could for themselves and their nine children. They left everything else behind at their home in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Born in Pakistan to parents who fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ensuing war, Khan is one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have now been expelled.

The nationwide crackdown, launched in October 2023, on foreigners Pakistan says are living in the country illegally has led to the departures of almost 1 million Afghans already.

Pakistan says millions more remain. It wants them gone.

“All our belongings were left behind,” Khan said as he stood in a dusty, windswept refugee camp just across the Afghan border in Torkham, the first stop for expelled refugees. “We tried so hard (over the years) to collect the things that we had with honor.”

Pakistan set several deadlines earlier this year for Afghans to leave or face deportation. Afghan Citizen Card holders had to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31, while those with Proof of Registration could stay until June 30. No specific deadlines were set for Afghans living elsewhere in Pakistan.

Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him a blow to his family’s dignity.

“We are happy that we came (to Afghanistan) with modesty and honor,” he said. As for his lost belongings, “God may provide for them here, as He did there.”

A refugee influx in a struggling country

At the Torkham camp, run by Afghanistan’s Taliban government, each family receives a SIM card and 10,000 Afghanis ($145) in aid. They can spend up to three days there before having to move on.

The camp’s director, Molvi Hashim Maiwandwal, said some 150 families were arriving daily from Pakistan — far fewer than the roughly 1,200 families who were arriving about two months ago. But he said another surge was expected after the three-day Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha that started June 7.

Aid organizations inside the camp help with basic needs, including healthcare. Local charity Aseel provides hygiene kits and helps with food. It has also set up a food package delivery system for families once they arrive at their final destination elsewhere in Afghanistan.

Aseel’s Najibullah Ghiasi said they expected a surge in arrivals “by a significant number” after Eid. “We cannot handle all of them, because the number is so huge,” he said, adding the organization was trying to boost fundraising so it could support more people.Pakistan blames Afghanistan for militancy

Pakistan accuses Afghans of staging militant attacks inside the country, saying assaults are planned from across the border — a charge Kabul’s Taliban government denies.

Pakistan denies targeting Afghans, and maintains that everyone leaving the country is treated humanely and with dignity. But for many, there is little that is humane about being forced to pack up and leave in minutes or hours.

Iran, too, has been expelling Afghans, with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, saying on June 5 that 500,000 Afghans had been forced to leave Iran and Pakistan in the two months since April 1.

Rights groups and aid agencies say authorities are pressuring Afghans into going sooner.

In April, Human Rights Watch said police had raided houses, beaten and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. Officers demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan, the group added.

Searching for hope while starting again

Fifty-year-old Yar Mohammad lived in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir for nearly 45 years. The father of 12 built a successful business polishing floors, hiring several workers. Plainclothes policemen knocked on his door too. They gave him six hours to leave.

“No way a person can wrap up so much business in six hours, especially if they spent 45 years in one place,” he said. Friends rushed to his aid to help pack up anything they could: the company’s floor-polishing machines, some tables, bed-frames and mattresses, and clothes.

Now all his household belongings are crammed into orange tents in the Torkham refugee camp, his hard-earned floor-polishing machines outside and exposed to the elements. After three days of searching, he managed to find a place to rent in Kabul.

“I have no idea what we will do,” he said, adding that he would try to recreate his floor-polishing business in Afghanistan. “If this works here, it is the best thing to do.”

45 minutes to pack up a lifetime as Pakistan’s foreigner crackdown sends Afghans scrambling
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US Defense Chief: Americans led majority of Afghanistan war effort

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

 

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate most of the Afghanistan war effort was carried out by American forces.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sparked backlash after downplaying NATO allies’ contributions to the war in Afghanistan during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, June 11. He asserted that “the vast majority of the effort was American,” minimizing the significance of international support in the two-decade-long conflict.

NBC News reported that Hegseth’s remarks drew immediate criticism from lawmakers, particularly Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Connecticut. Coons emphasized the sacrifices of smaller allied nations, such as Denmark, which endured high casualty rates despite limited military capacity. “To suggest that their losses were less meaningful is simply wrong,” Coons stated.

While Hegseth acknowledged the sacrifices made by coalition partners, he insisted that the United States bore the primary burden of the war. “We appreciate those contributions,” he said, “but the core of the mission was carried out by U.S. forces.”

A total of 32 countries participated in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. According to the U.K. Ministry of Defence, Britain lost 457 soldiers — the second-highest toll after the United States. Canada, Germany, and Italy also sustained notable casualties.

Critics argue that undermining allies’ roles damages trust and weakens future multilateral military collaborations. Former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark told PBS, “Solidarity among NATO partners is essential, especially when facing emerging global threats.”

Hegseth’s comments have reignited debate over America’s unilateralism in military affairs and the value of its alliances. With shifting global dynamics and rising security challenges, defense diplomacy may need a recalibration rooted in mutual recognition and shared sacrifice.

As the U.S. reflects on its post-Afghanistan military strategy, voices within and outside Washington urge a more inclusive narrative that honors the collective efforts of all nations involved. Dismissing allied contributions could hinder future coalition-building in potential conflict zones.

US Defense Chief: Americans led majority of Afghanistan war effort
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