Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has requested access to a leaked list of Afghan nationals who previously worked with British forces, according to a report by The Telegraph published on Monday.
The newspaper reported that Iranian officials are seeking the list to identify individuals suspected of having ties to MI6, the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence agency.
According to The Telegraph, the list includes the identities of more than 100 British special forces personnel and MI6 officers who had supported Afghan colleagues, as well as the names of approximately 25,000 Afghans who applied for asylum in the UK following the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan. The list was reportedly leaked in 2022 by a UK Ministry of Defence employee.
Citing a senior Iranian official, the report said a special IRGC committee has been assigned to pursue the matter and has opened discussions with the Taliban. Simultaneously, the Taliban has allegedly instructed its officers in Kabul to identify and detain individuals named on the list.
The Taliban has previously downplayed the significance of the leak, stating it already holds detailed information on former Afghan government security and military personnel.
The Telegraph also reported that an Afghan citizen named on the list who had been living in Iran was recently arrested and deported to Kabul, despite claiming that return would place him at serious risk.
Iranian authorities have not issued any public response regarding the allegations.
In response to concerns, the UK Ministry of Defence stated that it has taken appropriate measures to protect its former staff and Afghan partners. It added that inclusion on the list does not, in itself, pose a significant security threat.
