TEHRAN — As military confrontations between Israel and Iran escalate, Afghan migrants living in Iran are voicing growing concern over their safety and uncertain futures.
“If there is a war between Iran and Israel, our safety will be in danger,” said one migrant, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We don’t know what will happen; our future will become more unclear.”
Alongside migrant anxieties, the Taliban have strongly condemned Israel’s recent strikes on Iran. In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the attacks—which reportedly killed Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists—as “a clear violation of the fundamental principles of international law, particularly national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai also voiced support for Iran in a post on X, calling Iran “a good neighbor with shared historical and cultural ties to Afghanistan” whose people have consistently supported Afghans. Former peace council chief Abdullah Abdullah stated that the strikes constituted “a blatant violation of all international norms and human rights, and a clear expression of the expansionist and terrorist policies of the Zionist regime.”
Political and economic analysts warn that intensifying regional conflict could have far-reaching consequences for Afghanistan. “Increased military tensions between Iran and Israel could seriously disrupt Afghan trade routes through Iran and create new challenges for imports and exports,” said one economist.
For Afghanistan’s migrant community in Iran—already vulnerable to restrictive immigration policies and limited legal protections—the prospect of war adds yet another layer of insecurity to an already precarious existence.
