Afghan Migrants Flee Iran Amid Tightening US Sanctions

Afghan nationals are increasingly leaving Iran due to its collapsing economy, soaring inflation, and the devaluation of the rial, which has made living there prohibitively expensive. Abdul Jabbar, an Afghan who lived in Iran for nearly four decades and worked in construction, recently returned to his home in Farah province with his family. He described their new life in a mud house with a solar panel, a stark contrast to his previous relative prosperity. This exodus is a growing phenomenon, with the Afghan manager of the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran reporting that 20 to 40 Afghan families cross back into Afghanistan daily. These families prefer Taliban rule, despite its restrictions on women, over Iran's current economic hardship and perceived danger.

The departure of Afghans is seen as a symptom of broader economic decline in Iran, exacerbated by tightening US sanctions. These sanctions have recently extended to the air sector, with several countries bordering Iran refusing landing rights or airspace access to Iranian planes, under threat of US sanctions. Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Oman have joined these measures, prompting threats of retaliation from hardliners within Iran. Mohsen Rezai, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and current secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, vowed to disrupt any airport that closes its airspace to Iranian flights.

Amidst this economic pressure and international isolation, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech at the UN accusing Israel and the United States of killing women and children. Simultaneously, his Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was reportedly in discussions with American officials in New York about ending the war. This dual approach highlights the ongoing struggle between reformist factions seeking engagement with the US and the conservative leadership, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which maintains a policy of defiance. The article suggests that the conservative faction ultimately dictates Iran's actions, pointing to a missile strike on a British merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz shortly before Raisi's UN speech as a signal from those who truly hold power in Iran.