Iran, Afghanistan advance joint UNESCO dossier for Asbads

TEHRAN – Iran is moving closer to finalizing a “complex” UNESCO World Heritage nomination for its ancient wind-powered structures, known as Asbads, with officials confirming that the dossier will be submitted jointly with Afghanistan.

Pakistan carries out airstrikes inside Afghanistan with no letup in border fighting

Pakistan’s military, backed by artillery and air power, struck more military installations deep inside Afghanistan overnight and into early Saturday, after Pakistan said it was in “open war” with its eastern neighbor, the Associated Press reported. 

Iran urges Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve tensions through dialogue

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to show restraint and hold talks as the two countries have traded fire.

Deadly air raids fuel rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul

A senior Pakistani official claimed military air raids along the Afghan border killed at least 70 fighters, though Kabul denied these figures amid escalating regional tensions, Al Jazeera reported Monday.

Afghanistan promises ‘appropriate response’ after deadly Pakistani strikes

Pakistan’s military early on Sunday carried out air raids in Afghanistan, targeting what it called “camps and hideouts” belonging to armed groups behind a spate of recent attacks, including a deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad, Al Jazeera reported. 

Nearly 450 Afghans return from Iran in one day

TEHRAN – Taliban authorities have said 449 Afghan refugees have been deported from Iran on Wednesday, February 18.

Over 3.6 million Afghan migrants returned from Iran in 2025: IFRC

TEHRAN – More than 3.6 million Afghans returned from Iran in 2025, including around 1.2 million who were deported, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a report.

Afghans coming from Iran have ‘better education, food security’ than those returning from Pakistan

TEHRAN - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has said those Afghan refugees returning from Iran often have more education, better food security, and housing than those returning from Pakistan.

Tehran to host Nowruz summit with ministers, ambassadors from 18 countries

TEHRAN – Iran is set to host an international Nowruz summit with ministers from 18 countries in Tehran from March 27 to 29, 2026, a senior official from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said on Sunday.

Iran at forefront of providing support to refugees

TEHRAN – Over the past four decades, Iran has been one of the top countries hosting the largest number of refugees and migrants, despite many challenges facing the country.

Iranians working to facilitate, speed up engagement with Afghanistan: Pezeshkian 

TEHRAN – Iran’s president says the country will make every effort to give fresh impetus to its interactions with Afghanistan along the border.

Over 1.7 million Afghans deported from Iran in first nine months of 2025: UNHCR

TEHRAN – In the first nine months of 2025, more than 1.7 million Afghan refugees have returned from Iran to Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported in a press release on October 27.

Afghanistan seeks to bolster health co-op with Iran

TEHRAN – A delegation from Afghanistan’s Food and Drug Administration met with Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Wednesday to explore the potential for expanding ties in the health sector.

'Sensitivities on registration of Behzad’s miniature, Samanu by Afghanistan, Tajikistan unfounded'

TEHRAN--Sensitivities regarding global registration of Iranian miniature painter Kamaluddin Behzad’s art (a detailed and symbolic form of painting scenes from history and literature) by Afghanistan and Samanu (a traditional Iranian sweet paste made entirely from mashed germinated wheat) by Tajikistan are unfounded, said Deputy Cultural Heritage Minister Ali Darabi.

Afghanistan’s neighbors gather in Tehran to coordinate support for the war-torn country

Araghchi tells participants ‘external’ solutions cannot ensure stability

TEHRAN – Representatives of Afghanistan’s neighbors — Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — and Russia met in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the current and future situation of the war-stricken country, where security and safety have improved since the Taliban first returned to power in 2021, but poverty and hunger have increased and the question of international recognition remains unresolved.

Global investment essential for sustainable return of refugees: Iran’s UN envoy

TEHRAN –Iran’s UN envoy to Geneva, Ali Bahreini, has called for the international community’s investment in infrastructure, employment, education, and other services to improve conditions in Afghanistan for the sustainable return of refugees to their home countries.

‘Militant’ ambush kills six Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least six Pakistani soldiers were killed in “militant attacks” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a northwestern province bordering Afghanistan, Anadolu reported Tuesday, citing local police.

Tehran, Kabul discuss boosting health cooperation

TEHRAN – Iranian and Afghan officials have discussed ways to promote cooperation between the two countries in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment fields.

Knowledge-based companies attending Afghan Health Exhibition

TEHRAN – Forty Iranian knowledge-based firms are participating in the Afghan Health Exhibition, being held from December 2 to 4, in Kabul.

Pakistan accuses Afghan nationals of twin suicide bombings

Pakistani authorities on November 13 accused Afghan nationals of carrying out two suicide bombings that struck the South Asian nation earlier this week, including one in Islamabad, The Cradle reported Friday.

Defense minister: Pakistan will ‘pay back in the same coins’ after Islamabad suicide blast

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan was not interested in fighting with India or Afghanistan, though he said his country would “pay back in the same coins” if it was targeted by its enemies after a suicide attack in Islamabad killed at least 12 people and injured more than 30, Arab News reported. 

Gorgan festival to highlight nomadic life

TEHRAN—Gorgan will hold the 17th Iranian ethnic culture festival during November 16-18. The three-day event will host cultural, artistic and handicraft groups from all over the country and nine foreign countries.

Iran says ready to send aid to quake-hit areas in Afghanistan

TEHRAN – The Iranian foreign minister says the country is prepared to send relief aid to earth-quake areas in Afghanistan.