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IEA slams UN sanctions as ‘unreasonable’ after update to listings

Speaking in response to the move, Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the continued use of sanctions reflects a failure of policy and analysis.

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has sharply criticized the United Nations’ sanctions regime following the latest update to listings targeting senior leaders, calling the measures “unreasonable and ineffective.”

Speaking in response to the move, Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the continued use of sanctions reflects a failure of policy and analysis. He argued that repeating such measures “lacks logic” and suggests that international bodies have not properly assessed their impact.

Mujahid said the move ultimately harms ordinary Afghans rather than decision-makers, warning that restrictions placed on individuals extend to government institutions and broader society. “These actions undermine the rights of the people,” he said, adding that there is no clear or justified basis for maintaining or expanding the measures.

He also described the sanctions as a tool of political pressure, claiming decisions are made without meaningful consultation with Afghan authorities and lack transparency.

The comments came after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) announced updates to its sanctions list as part of ongoing enforcement efforts. The council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee confirmed revisions to identifying details for four senior IEA officials: Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Hedayatullah Badri.

The changes do not impose new sanctions but update aliases and personal information to improve enforcement of existing measures, including asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes.

For example, Mohammad Hassan Akhund is also listed under “Mullah Haji,” while Hedayatullah Badri is identified as “Gul Agha Ishaqzai,” names associated with their previous roles.

UN officials say such updates are necessary to maintain the accuracy of the consolidated sanctions list used globally by governments and financial institutions.

The revisions follow a broader review last month covering 22 IEA figures, reaffirming their designation under the sanctions regime. More than 30 individuals remain listed, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Salam Hanafi, and Abdul Haq Wasiq.

However, Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada continues to be absent from the list, despite repeated updates.

The sanctions framework – maintained under UN authority and binding on all member states – has recently been extended for another year, ensuring continued monitoring of IEA-linked individuals and entities.

While largely procedural, the latest update highlights ongoing international pressure on the IEA leadership, even as the group seeks greater diplomatic engagement.

It also comes amid scrutiny over foreign travel by sanctioned officials, including Abdul Ghani Baradar and Amir Khan Muttaqi, raising questions about enforcement of the restrictions.

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Four members of one family killed in Helmand in Pakistan airstrike

The family, originally from Ghazni province, reportedly operated a small restaurant in the area.

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Four members of a family were killed and seven others wounded in an airstrike in Safar area of Garmser district in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, according to local reports.

The family, originally from Ghazni province, reportedly operated a small restaurant in the area.

The bodies of those killed and the wounded were transported by helicopter to Ghazni province for burial and medical treatment, according to the reports.

 

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UNAMA acting chief visits Islam Qala border to assess support for returnees

UN launched a $529 million response plan aimed at assisting around 2.7 million Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan between April and December 2026.

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Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s acting head, visited western Afghanistan, including the Islam Qala border crossing, to see firsthand UN efforts to support millions of Afghans returning from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.

Earlier this year, the UN launched a $529 million response plan aimed at assisting around 2.7 million Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan between April and December 2026.

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Trump: Unlike Afghanistan, US took all equipment from Iraq

Trump said the withdrawal from Iraq marked the end of what he described as a costly military involvement, adding that he had set a clear mission and instructed commanders to complete it without allowing the US presence to become permanent.

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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday compared the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq with the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying military equipment had been left behind in Afghanistan, while US forces leaving Iraq took their equipment with them.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump referred to the final departure of US-led coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, which marked the end of the US military mission against Daesh in Iraq.

“I said, take a little longer. Take everyone. We left all of the equipment, if you remember, in Afghanistan. Everything was left behind,” Trump said.

“I said, ‘I want every screw taken. If there’s a screw lying on the ground, take it. If we have a canvas tent, take it.’ We took everything,” he added.

He also mentioned the August 2021 attack at Kabul airport that killed 13 US soldiers.

Trump said he had become acquainted with the families of the US service members killed in the attack and also highlighted those who were seriously wounded.

“What happened to those—to their children should never have been allowed to happen,” he said, adding that 48 wounded service members were severely injured and “never get mentioned.”

Trump said the withdrawal from Iraq marked the end of what he described as a costly military involvement, adding that he had set a clear mission and instructed commanders to complete it without allowing the US presence to become permanent.

The US military announced on Wednesday that its forces and equipment had completed an orderly departure from Erbil Air Base, formally ending Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. The US-led mission began in 2014 to fight Daesh after the group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. The US is continuing its counter-Daesh mission in Syria from a headquarters in Jordan.

Trump said the US had entered Iraq to fight the Islamic State and that the group no longer controlled a territorial “caliphate.”

“We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home indeed,” he said.

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