Over 70 Percent of Afghanistan’s Medicines Supplied By Iran, Says Iranian Governor

The blast occurred around 8:30 a.m. near a Shia mosque in a predominantly Hazara neighborhood within the city’s second security district.

Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and details regarding injuries or damage remain unclear.

The situation is ongoing, with further information expected as developments unfold.

According to the IRNA news agency, the delegation—which includes representatives from the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Governorate of South Khorasan—is focused on identifying logistical challenges, enhancing transport capacity, and facilitating increased economic cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

Abdullah Arjaei, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said the expansion of the railway could significantly improve regional transit and provide new opportunities for the Iranian private sector to engage in Afghan infrastructure projects.

“The volume of transit through the country should increase to 40 million tonnes annually, and this is not possible without sufficient attention to neighbouring countries and the completion of east-west and north-south corridors,” Arjaei stated.

He also emphasised the strategic importance of linking Afghanistan to European markets and international waters, noting that Iran is well-positioned to facilitate such access.

The Khaf-Herat railway connects Iran’s national rail network to Herat in western Afghanistan and is considered a vital component of the East-West international rail corridor. The 2,000-kilometre route spans China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkiye, and Europe, offering a major transit corridor for goods across the region.

The sentences were carried out publicly on Sunday in front of a large crowd, according to local Taliban officials.

The public punishments come amid a broader campaign of corporal sentencing by the Taliban, which has drawn widespread international condemnation for its lack of due process and judicial transparency.

A day earlier, the Taliban judiciary announced that 13 people — including three women — were sentenced in the provinces of Jowzjan and Khost to prison terms ranging from two to five years, along with 35 to 39 lashes administered in public.

According to Taliban authorities, the charges in those cases included “illicit relationships, bribery, insulting religious sanctities, and spreading false news.”

Human rights organisations and international bodies continue to express concern over the Taliban’s justice system, which operates without an independent judiciary, legal safeguards, or defence representation for the accused.

The latest incidents follow last week’s public execution of four individuals by Taliban authorities, underscoring the group’s ongoing use of harsh and controversial punishments under its interpretation of Islamic law.

Speaking at a religious seminar for Hajj instructors in Kandahar on Sunday, Akhundzada declared, “We are happy to have our heads cut off, but we are not happy if Sharia is not implemented.”

An audio recording of his remarks was shared on the social media platform X by Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat.

Referring to himself as Amir al-Mu’minin (Commander of the Faithful), Akhundzada claimed that loyalty to his leadership is equivalent to allegiance to God. “If these people are standing with me, they are standing with God. They are aligned with God’s Sharia,” he said. “May the day never come when we compromise on Sharia.”

He criticised the international community, particularly Western countries, for opposing the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law. Despite pressure, he vowed that the Taliban would continue to enforce their policies, even by coercive means.

“In the past, words were spoken without force. Now, it is a matter of law — whether someone accepts it or not, we will impose it by force,” he warned.

Nearly four years since seizing power, the Taliban has yet to receive formal recognition from any country. Even those considered sympathetic or maintaining close ties have refrained from granting official legitimacy.

The group’s hardline governance, especially the continued ban on girls’ education and the exclusion of women from public and professional life, has attracted widespread criticism, including from Muslim-majority states. International appeals for moderation have thus far been dismissed by the Taliban leadership, deepening the regime’s isolation on the global stage.

According to the commission’s statement released on Saturday, 1,543 individuals were expelled via Spin Boldak, while nearly 5,000 were returned through the Torkham crossing.

The statement noted a significant surge in deportations, with 288 families entering Afghanistan through Spin Boldak and 820 families through Torkham in just 24 hours.

In addition, the commission confirmed the deportation of 134 Afghan migrants from Iran. Of these, 70 returned via the Islam Qala border crossing and 64 through Pul-e-Abrisham.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also reported on Saturday that at least 44,900 Afghan migrants had returned from Pakistan between 1 and 11 April. According to the agency, 14,100 of them were forcibly deported during that period.

The deportations come amid an intensified crackdown by Pakistani authorities on undocumented Afghan migrants. Since the expiry of the voluntary return deadline on 31 March, reports indicate that hundreds of Afghans are being expelled daily, raising humanitarian concerns among international agencies and rights organisations.