Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Taliban are attempting to divert blame toward Pakistan following the assassination of former Afghan security commander Ikramuddin Sari in Tehran.
Critics say both sides are shaping a misleading narrative to conceal the political and security realities surrounding the killing of prominent Taliban opponents on Iranian soil.
Killing in Tehran and claims of narrative manipulation
General Sari was shot dead in Tehran along with his colleague Almas Kohistani by unidentified gunmen.
Afghan opposition sources allege that the operation was carried out by Taliban intelligence units, with support from elements linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
According to these sources, Iranian and Taliban-linked channels are now attempting to attribute the assassination to Pakistan in order to deflect public scrutiny.
The aim, they claim, is to hide growing cooperation between Tehran and the Taliban and to avoid accountability for the killing of figures openly critical of the group.
Days before his death, Sari had warned in a media interview that the Taliban had placed him and several former Afghan soldiers living in Iran on an assassination list.
He had publicly appealed to the Iranian government for protection and security guarantees.
Failure to protect Taliban opponents in Iran
Despite these warnings, critics say Iranian authorities failed to provide protection to Taliban opponents.
Some reports suggest that after the assassination, former Afghan military personnel in Iran faced pressure to cooperate with the Taliban, along with unofficial threats and intimidation.
Over recent months, Iran has significantly expanded political and security engagement with the Taliban, especially as tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban increased.
Observers say this closer relationship has created an environment where Afghan opposition figures feel increasingly unsafe inside Iran.
Pakistan’s position and contrast in treatment
In contrast, former Afghan soldiers and political figures continue to live in Pakistan without reported threats.
Even individuals who previously opposed Pakistan or clashed with its forces during the former Afghan government period have remained secure, according to available records.
No credible reports of assassinations or intimidation against such figures in Pakistan have surfaced.
Critics also accuse Iran of deporting former Afghan soldiers, tearing up legal documents, and handing individuals over at the Afghan border after which several were reportedly killed or detained by the Taliban.
As Iran openly describes the Taliban as a close partner and allows the group to hold official events on its soil, the killing of Ikramuddin Sari has intensified concerns that opposition figures abroad now face coordinated threats, alongside efforts to shift responsibility away from the real perpetrators.
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