The Taliban has reportedly offered Iran a “kill list” containing the identities of former British military collaborators, intelligence operatives, and special forces personnel in exchange for formal recognition, according to The Telegraph.
The report claims that a delegation from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) traveled to Kabul in recent days to discuss a potential intelligence-sharing agreement. The delegation allegedly acted without formal authorization from Tehran.
The “kill list” reportedly includes names of Afghanistan residents who had worked with British forces. Some of those listed are said to have taken refuge in Iran, placing them at immediate risk of detention.
According to The Telegraph, Iran may intend to use the information to arrest suspected British spies as leverage in its nuclear negotiations with Western powers. An Iranian official cited by the paper confirmed that four IRGC members were part of the delegation and had promised the Taliban they would lobby Tehran to accelerate the recognition process.
The same official claimed that the Taliban had already handed over the list, allowing Iranian intelligence to begin identifying suspected operatives before Western countries could trigger the nuclear deal’s “snapback mechanism”—which would reimpose pre-2015 sanctions.
In recent days, Iranian border forces have reportedly detained several individuals from the list. While many were released—having been deemed ordinary soldiers—some remain in custody for further investigation. “The focus,” one source noted, “is solely on British spies.”
The development comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Western powers. Britain, France, and Germany recently warned the UN Secretary-General of their intent to reapply full sanctions unless Tehran cooperates with international nuclear monitoring efforts. A grace period has been offered, but European states appear poised to act if progress stalls.
