Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has formally requested the Taliban hand over a leaked list of nearly 25,000 Afghans who supported British forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The list, exposed in a catastrophic UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach, includes sensitive details of Afghan military personnel, civil servants, and interpreters, as well as endorsements from British special forces and MI6 operatives. UK officials fear the information could now be used by hostile regimes to hunt down Western intelligence assets.
The Telegraph reports that senior Iranian officials confirmed the IRGC has been coordinating with Taliban authorities in Kabul and Kandahar to gain access to the list, known in British media as the “kill list.” Tehran’s goal appears twofold: to identify intelligence-linked Afghans already in Iran, and to use them as bargaining chips ahead of a tense round of nuclear negotiations with Western powers. The effort comes amid growing concern that Iran is using covert tactics to strengthen its diplomatic hand while facing possible UN sanctions.
Taliban sources told the newspaper that their leadership has already launched a nationwide operation to track down individuals named in the leaked files. A special unit has been mobilized to interrogate family members and arrest former British collaborators, whom the Taliban accuse of continuing to aid Western intelligence. According to officials in Kandahar, the arrests are intended to be used as leverage in pressuring the UK and its allies.
The leaked database—containing full names, emails, phone numbers, and affiliations—was originally exposed in 2022 and affected up to 100,000 people, including family members of applicants to the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). Although the UK has since evacuated around 6,900 individuals as a result of the breach, critics argue that thousands more remain in hiding or stranded in danger zones. A British court described the leak as posing a “grave risk of torture or death” for those identified.
In a shocking twist, it was revealed that the UK government imposed a rare contra mundum superinjunction to suppress coverage of the breach—barring journalists from even acknowledging the existence of the court order. Media figures such as LBC’s Lewis Goodall were initially forbidden from informing editors or legal counsel. The government’s response has been widely criticized as lacking transparency and failing to adequately protect those put at risk.
Iran’s pursuit of the list coincides with rising tensions over its nuclear program. Following the June ceasefire with Israel, Tehran has accelerated deportations of Afghan refugees, citing resource strain. Meanwhile, Western diplomats have demanded Iran restore full cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. If Iran fails to meet international commitments by August 30, the UK and other powers may trigger the “snapback” mechanism under UN Resolution 2231, reinstating global sanctions lifted by the 2015 nuclear deal.
Observers say the timing of Iran’s demand for the list raises alarming questions about its intentions—not just toward Afghans on the run, but toward Britain and the rules of international diplomacy. As both Tehran and the Taliban weaponize the data for geopolitical advantage, thousands of lives remain in the balance, caught in a dangerous crossfire between past loyalties and present-day power struggles.
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