Pakistan Begins Deportation Of Undocumented Afghan Migrants

On Monday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Iran remains the primary state sponsor of terrorism in the region and maintains a hostile stance toward the United States and its allies.

Iran “supports Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, the Houthis, the Taliban, and other terrorist networks,” Bruce stated, underscoring what she called Iran’s extensive role in fuelling regional instability.

She added that President Donald Trump, will never allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons. This marks the first time the US has publicly included the Taliban in its list of Iran-backed proxy groups operating across the region.

Economic and political ties between Iran and the Taliban have expanded significantly in recent months. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, recently visited Kabul and declared the start of “a new chapter” in bilateral relations following meetings with Taliban officials.

Washington appears increasingly concerned over the deepening Iran-Taliban relationship, viewing Tehran’s support as a possible attempt to use the Taliban as another regional proxy force.

Nevertheless, the Taliban have continued to express interest in building economic ties with the United States. This week, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi told CBS News that Afghanistan’s “untapped mineral wealth” remains open to US investment.

The Trump administration has shown interest in resource investments abroad, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. The Taliban hopes that attracting American investment in Afghanistan’s mining sector could serve as a platform for improving diplomatic relations.

Since the Trump administration took office, the Taliban has released two American citizens from detention. Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US envoy involved in the negotiations for George Glezmann’s release, stated the move was aimed at gaining favour with the current US government.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to review the request on 17 April, according to RIA Novosti.

The move comes under a new legal framework signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on 28 December 2024. The legislation allows for the conditional and temporary suspension of a group’s terrorist status if specific legal and security conditions are met. Under the law, the Prosecutor General or their deputy may request such a suspension, pending a court ruling.

The Taliban has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Russia since 14 February 2003. While Moscow, like most countries, has not officially recognised the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, it has maintained diplomatic and economic ties with the group. Russia has handed over operational control of the Afghan embassy in Moscow to Taliban representatives, with Jamal Nasir Gharwal currently serving as chargé d’affaires.

President Putin said in July 2024 that the Taliban is now considered an ally in counterterrorism efforts. However, for the court to approve the suspension of the terrorist designation, Russian authorities must provide evidence that the Taliban has ceased all terrorism-related activity—including incitement, justification, or support for terrorist acts—under the definitions set out in Russia’s penal code.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed in February that Russia is in no rush to grant formal recognition to the Taliban. He added that the legal process for removing the group from the terrorist list would take time.

Meanwhile, Zamir Kabulov, Putin’s special envoy for Afghanistan, announced that a Russia-Taliban bilateral working group is expected to be established in spring 2025. This group would replace the existing intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, despite the Taliban’s ongoing lack of international recognition.

Russian officials have made clear that even if the Taliban is removed from the terrorist list, the decision would not equate to formal diplomatic recognition of the group.

The security measures were reportedly prompted by perceived threats against Akhundzada. In addition to the military deployment, the Taliban imposed a strict ban on mobile phones inside the mosque. Sources confirmed that Taliban forces closely monitored worshippers and cracked down on any violations of the phone ban.

Elite members of Akhundzada’s security detail were stationed both inside and around the mosque in the days leading up to Eid, effectively restricting public access to the area. Civilians were barred from entering or moving near the premises as part of the heightened security protocol.

Akhundzada, who has remained largely out of public view since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, is known to meet only with a limited inner circle. His rare public appearances are tightly controlled and heavily guarded.

Sources noted that the type of heavy weapons deployed around the mosque were typically reserved for large-scale combat operations. The move is seen not only as a precautionary security measure but also as a deliberate show of force by the Taliban leadership.

In a statement, the SDC announced that the office resumed operations at its former location in mid-March. The agency stressed that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with nearly half the population still dependent on aid.

With this renewed presence, Switzerland aims to gain a clearer understanding of conditions on the ground and strengthen collaboration with local and international organisations to deliver targeted support. The office currently employs four international experts and ten local staff members.

The SDC’s primary focus areas include humanitarian aid, support for Afghan civil society—particularly women and girls—and improving food security in rural communities.

Swiss-led initiatives in Afghanistan are being implemented in cooperation with international NGOs, the Red Cross, UN agencies, and the World Bank. The office operates with an annual budget of 25 million Swiss francs (approximately $28 million), covering both programme delivery and staffing costs.

The SDC also maintains similar humanitarian operations in the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Syria, as part of Switzerland’s broader commitment to long-term development in priority countries.

While the Taliban aligned its Eid declaration with Saudi Arabia and held prayers across the country on 30 March, many Shia communities in Kabul gathered in mosques a day later. Reports received by Afghanistan International indicate that mosque attendance in areas such as the Al-Zahra Mosque was notably high, reflecting widespread adherence to the Shia tradition of confirming Eid based on separate moon-sighting criteria.

This is not the first time Eid has been observed on different days across Afghanistan. Such divergences occurred even under previous governments, but under Taliban rule, celebrating Eid on an alternate date can carry political and social risks.

According to recent reports, Taliban forces in some districts—including Malistan in Ghazni province—attempted to compel Shia residents to break their fast on Sunday. Over the past four years, there have been several cases of the Taliban pressuring Shia communities to conform to its Supreme Court’s Eid announcements. In some instances, Taliban members reportedly used force or coerced Shia clerics into leading prayers on dates dictated by the group.

Despite this pressure, the tradition among Shia communities in regions such as Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and the central highlands is to follow religious rulings issued by Shia scholars, which typically align with Iran’s announcement of Eid.

This year, no incidents of forced Eid observance were reported in Hazara and Shia-majority areas of Kabul or other provinces. However, there are accounts suggesting Taliban intelligence operatives relayed instructions through village elders in central provinces, insisting that Eid be celebrated according to the Taliban’s timetable.

Meanwhile, Taliban leaders held their own Eid prayers on Sunday. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada led prayers in Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque, while other senior officials prayed at the Arg (Presidential Palace) and Sapedar Palace in Kabul. However, the separate gatherings by different factions highlighted internal rifts within the Taliban’s leadership.

Of note is the recent demotion of Abdul Kabir, formerly a deputy prime minister, who was reassigned as acting minister of refugees. Despite the change, Kabir reportedly continues to operate from the Sapedar Palace, underscoring ongoing political tensions within the Taliban ranks.