Tehran, December 26, 2025: A second former Afghan security official opposed to the Taliban has been killed in Iran in less than four months, heightening fears among Afghan ex-military figures living in the country.
Former police general Ikramuddin Sari was shot dead by masked assailants near his home in southern Tehran, sources told Afghanistan International. Sari, who previously served as police commander in Baghlan and Takhar provinces, died while being transferred to hospital after the attack. He had fled to Iran following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Reports suggest that Iranian authorities had previously detained and questioned Sari, although no official explanation was provided. The killing comes after the September assassination of Maroof Ghulami, a political and military figure allied with veteran anti-Taliban leader Ismail Khan, who was shot in Mashhad. Sources close to both men have blamed the Taliban for the killings.
An Afghan military source described the attacks as the start of Taliban “extraterritorial assassinations,” noting that the group has repeatedly threatened to target opponents abroad. Senior Taliban officials, including Mohammad Nabi Omari and former spokesperson Saeed Khosti, have previously suggested that the group is prepared to eliminate critics overseas.
Iranian authorities have remained publicly silent on Sari’s killing. No detailed update has been provided on the investigation into Ghulami’s death, although Iranian police said in September they arrested three suspects, releasing two, with reports suggesting the remaining suspect may have been linked to the Taliban—a claim not confirmed by Tehran.
Sari, originally from Kapisa province, was a career officer who also served as an adviser to Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry. In Iran, he acted as an informal representative for former Afghan soldiers, advocating for their rights, opposing deportations, and openly criticizing the Taliban.
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), led by Ahmad Massoud, called on Iran to conduct a “transparent, serious and independent” investigation, describing Sari’s killing as a “targeted terrorist act.” Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan, under Salahuddin Rabbani, also condemned the killing and urged Iranian authorities to identify those responsible.
Iran, which has transferred Afghanistan’s embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad to the Taliban, has faced growing criticism for failing to protect Afghan dissidents on its soil even as it seeks closer ties with the Taliban-led administration.
