Attempts by Afghan citizens to cross illegally into Iran have doubled over the past six months compared with the same period last year, a senior Iranian border commander said, as Tehran accelerates deportations and tightens control along its frontier with Afghanistan.
Majid Shoja, border guard commander for Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province, said this week that more than 1.5 million Afghan nationals had returned to their country since the start of the Persian year in March -- triple the number from last year.
About 500,000 of them left legally after their residence permits expired, mostly through the official crossings of Dogharoun and Taybad, he said.
Shoja added that around 40,000 illegal crossings were prevented in the first half of the year, double the figure from the same period in 2024.
Iran, he said, is expanding its eastern border sealing project, including the construction of a 300-kilometer border wall, of which 100 kilometers have been completed, and the installation of thermal cameras, acoustic sensors, and 360-degree watchtowers.
These systems, he said, can detect movement up to 45 kilometers away and reduce reliance on manpower.
The commander described the use of advanced surveillance and what he called border diplomacy with Afghanistan and Turkmenistan as key to enhancing security and managing migration.
He also reported a 12% rise in cross-border vehicle traffic and the growing importance of the Taybad free-trade zone and the Khaf–Herat railway link for legal commerce.
Broader crackdown on Afghan migrants
The tighter border measures come amid a nationwide crackdown on undocumented Afghans. In late August, an Interior Ministry official said Iran had expelled 1.8 million migrants over the past year -- most of them Afghans -- and planned to deport at least 800,000 more under a new removal plan.
Rights groups have reported several deadly incidents involving Afghan migrants. On September 8, border guards in Sistan-Baluchestan province opened fire on about 120 Afghans attempting to cross, killing six and wounding five, according to the Baluch rights group Haalvsh.
Human rights monitors, including HRANA, condemned the use of heavy weapons and described the incident as a violation of international law.
The United Nations has warned that mass deportations could trigger a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where the Taliban government is struggling to absorb the influx.
Tehran says its policies are aimed at enforcing immigration law and protecting its borders, insisting that Afghan migrants are treated in accordance with domestic and international norms.
“According to the foreign minister, such conditions have not been formally presented to Iran, and until that happens they cannot be seriously reviewed,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told reporters in Tehran.
The Washington Post reported last week that the Trump administration wants Tehran to agree to direct and meaningful talks, end uranium enrichment, impose curbs on its missile program, and stop funding regional armed groups as the basis for any renewed diplomacy.
US officials cited in the report said the reimposition of United Nations snapback sanctions last month was meant to create the environment for a diplomatic solution.
The measures, triggered by Britain, France and Germany, restored pre-2015 sanctions covering arms transfers, financial restrictions, and missile-related activities.
Iran has dismissed the new sanctions as “illegal and politically motivated,” saying they violate its right to peaceful nuclear development.
The sanctions followed a June conflict in which Israeli and US strikes targeted Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing hundreds of personnel and civilians. The 12-day war ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24.
Tehran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting its program is civilian in nature.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly last month that Iran remains open to dialogue but that “the wall of distrust with Washington is quite thick and quite tall.”
Earlier, Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani said US efforts to dictate Tehran’s military and foreign policy predetermine any negotiation outcome, calling them incompatible with Iran’s sovereignty.
The two countries held indirect talks earlier this year aimed at reducing tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities, but progress stalled after the June escalation.
Analysts say the US conditions -- particularly ending enrichment and curbing missile development -- mirror past sticking points that have derailed previous rounds of diplomacy.
The Beit al-Moqaddas unit in Kordestan province said the assault took place late Monday, when attackers threw a grenade at a Guard post in the town’s Hezbollah Square area.
It identified the dead as cleric Alireza Valizadeh and Ayoub Shiri, describing them as security personnel. Three others were taken to the hospital with injuries.
The unit blamed “mercenary terrorists linked to global arrogance” and said security forces were pursuing the assailants.
“The martyrdom and injury of several of the brave men of Sarvabad is proof that the security of Iran rests on the courage of selfless defenders,” the statement said. “This kind of terrorist action will never weaken our resolve to safeguard the people.”
Sources close to Kurdish parties in Iran confirmed the report to Iran International.
According to these sources, “after the grenades exploded, gunfire was heard for several minutes, but no one was injured as a result of the shooting.”
They added, “the first attack was carried out by throwing grenades, which killed two security forces, and after about an hour the clashes ended. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the operation.”
Last month, armed men opened fire on a police vehicle in Sistan-Baluchestan province, killing at least two officers.
The provinces of Kordestan and Sistan-Baluchestan,home to ethnic Kurdish and Baluch minorities, have long seen insurgent and militant activity against Tehran.
Kordestan, bordering Iraq, is a hotspot for sporadic attacks by Kurdish armed groups seeking autonomy. In Sistan-Baluchestan, Sunni militant factions such as Jaish al-Adl have staged frequent ambushes on security forces near the Pakistan and Afghanistan borders.
Tehran blames “foreign-backed terrorists” for the unrest and has intensified security operations in both areas amid wider regional instability.
