Iran To Issue 200,000 Work Visas For Afghan Labourers

Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed Tehran’s offer during a meeting with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Minister for Refugees, on Friday.

Bahrami voiced concern over the escalating conflict and said Iran was prepared to assist in resolving disputes between the two sides if the Taliban agreed. The ministry’s statement said the officials also discussed broader regional issues.

Iran’s offer comes as Qatar has formally invited senior representatives from both parties to Doha for talks aimed at deescalation.

The Iranian diplomat praised the Taliban’s approach toward Tehran and said a high-level Iranian delegation would soon visit Kabul, though he did not specify who would be included in the delegation.

The attack reportedly took place on Thursday evening, in the Kote Sangi area of the capital’s Fifth Police District. The AFF said in a statement that none of its fighters were injured during the operation.

According to the group, the target was a Hilux vehicle transporting Taliban personnel.

Taliban officials have not yet commented on the incident. A resident of Kote Sangi area in Kabul told Afghanistan International that an explosion was heard in the area around the time of the reported attack.

In a statement, the broadcaster said Abdul Zahir Safi was killed by Pakistani gunfire while on a media assignment near the border. The incident follows the reported death of another network correspondent, Abdul Ghafoor Abed, in Khost a day earlier. Another staff member was injured in the same attack.

The national broadcaster condemned Safi’s killing, calling it a “deliberate attack against journalists.” The statement did not specify the exact location or time of the incident.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture also accused Pakistan of killing two journalists from Afghanistan’s national television, though Islamabad has not yet commented on the allegations.

According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees, Bertrand warned that the continued fighting was worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation and urged both Kabul and Islamabad to resolve their differences through dialogue. Abdul Kabir told the envoy that the clashes had created major difficulties for returning Afghan refugees.

The meeting came as the Taliban and Pakistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following intense border clashes. Pakistan’s defence minister, however, said he was not optimistic about the truce holding.

Bertrand’s concerns follow reports that Pakistan’s border closures amid the conflict have further strained humanitarian conditions. During the meeting, Kabir called on the European Union to continue providing aid and stressed that international assistance should not be politicised.

According to the Taliban ministry, the European Union has allocated €138 million to support basic needs and humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan.

A Pakistani security source said the drone used was a rotary-wing, or copter-type, similar to those operated by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The black-and-white footage shows a drone dropping explosives from a low altitude onto a rectangular structure described as a Pakistani military position. Moments later, an explosion is seen.

Taliban officials have not disclosed details about the type or origin of the drones. However, the Pakistani security source said TTP had obtained several drones “through traders in Afghanistan,” adding that the Afghan Taliban may have supplied some, though this remains unconfirmed.

These small, lightweight, remotely controlled drones are often used by both state and non-state armed groups. This marks the first time Taliban-linked media have claimed the group has employed drones in combat beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

It remains unclear which country may have supplied military-grade drones to the Taliban. The group maintains close ties with Iran, a major producer and exporter of drones in the region.

Experts note that while commercial drones can be modified for military use, advanced models capable of carrying explosives are tightly controlled and typically sold only to governments.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was the first outlet to report, citing sources close to the Taliban, that Taliban forces had attacked Pakistani army positions along the Durand Line using drones. The report was later deleted from the Tasnim website.

According to the deleted report, the attacks “inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistani soldiers.” The Pakistani government has not yet issued an official response.