Ikramuddin Sari, a former police commander in Afghanistan’s Takhar and Baghlan provinces during the republican era, was shot dead on the evening of December 24 outside his office in Tehran, according to sources close to him and Afghanistan’s anti-Taliban National Resistance Front (NRF).
The sources confirmed that Sari and one of his companions were killed in the attack, while a third individual was wounded. The incident marks the second killing of a prominent Afghan opposition figure in Iran this year.
Ali Maisam Nazary, spokesperson for the National Resistance Front, accused the Taliban of orchestrating the assassination. As of now, the Taliban have not commented on the allegations, while Iranian authorities have also not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Former officials of the Afghan republic and anti-Taliban groups strongly condemned the killing, calling on Iranian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Second High-Profile Killing in Iran
Sari’s killing follows a similar incident in September, when Marouf Golami, a commander close to former Afghan strongman Ismail Khan, was shot dead in Mashhad. At the time, Ismail Khan—who fled to Iran after the Taliban takeover—publicly demanded justice from Tehran.
Background and Exile
Ikramuddin Sari served as police chief in Baghlan from 2017 to 2019, and later in Takhar province, during the presidency of Ashraf Ghani. Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, he fled to Iran, where he advocated against the deportation of former Afghan security personnel seeking refuge.
Since 2021, thousands of former Afghan soldiers and police officers have sought safety in Iran, fearing retaliation despite the Taliban’s claims of a general amnesty. The Taliban have repeatedly denied conducting cross-border operations.
While Iran has not formally recognized the Taliban government, Tehran continues to maintain diplomatic, security, and economic ties with Kabul, a stance that has drawn increasing scrutiny following the latest killing.
