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PIA runs first chartered commercial flight to Afghanistan

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday ran its first commercial flight to Kabul since the take over of the country last month by the Islamic Emirate, a spokesman for the airline said.

The Boeing 777 with the flight number PK 6429 departed from Islamabad, Pakistan, as a commercial flight chartered by the World Bank, carrying officials from the bank and journalists, airline spokesman Abdullah H. Khan said.

The aircraft later returned to Islamabad.

This was the first PIA flight to touch down in Kabul after the foreign troop withdrawal and large-scale evacuation of people from Afghanistan ended on August 31.

“It was a special chartered commercial flight,” Khan told Reuters. “We also accommodated other individuals who wanted to leave Afghanistan since we had space on the plane.”

This operation is very important for PIA and the whole world, PIA’s Chief Operating Officer Arshad Malik said in a statement.

“We hope that we will be able to resume a complete operation soon,” he said.

Qatar Airways ran a chartered flight from Kabul to Doha on September 9 carrying about 113 people.

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UN confirms small number of Iranians seeking refuge in Afghanistan

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The United Nations has confirmed that a small number of Iranians, including dual Iranian-Afghan nationals, have crossed into Afghanistan following the outbreak of conflict between Iran and Israel.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), around 30 families with dual citizenship have entered Afghanistan, and a limited number of Iranian asylum seekers were registered on Sunday, June 22.

UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, stated that the agency is closely monitoring developments at border crossings and is fully prepared to support any Iranians fleeing the violence.

He also highlighted the broader regional displacement crisis, noting that since 2023, an estimated 3.5 million Afghan migrants have returned from Iran and Pakistan—many under duress.

Jamal emphasized the need for all returns to be conducted with dignity and called on the international community to invest in Afghanistan’s long-term peace and development.

“We are at the borders – in Milak and Islam Qala. We are monitoring the situation and indeed we are ready to receive Iranians if they choose to come. At the moment, we have not observed large numbers,” Jamal said.

“We have seen about 30 families that have dual nationality – Iranian and Afghan nationality. And I believe that yesterday we may have received just some small numbers of pure Iranian cases, but it is not big numbers at the moment,” he added.

UNHCR is working alongside Afghan government institutions and humanitarian partners to strengthen returnee reintegration programs. Jamal further urged neighboring countries to continue hosting Afghan refugees in a humane and respectful manner, while reaffirming UNHCR’s commitment to supporting those displaced by the ongoing conflict.

 

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Iran’s Supreme Leader cuts off all electronic communications amid assassination fears

It also notes that communications with senior military officials are now being conducted exclusively via one close aide.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly severed all electronic communications and retreated to an underground bunker amid fears of an assassination, according to a report by The New York Times.

The report, citing intelligence sources and Iranian insiders, claims that Khamenei, 86, is now directing the country through a trusted intermediary while avoiding any traceable digital contact.

The move comes as Israeli airstrikes on Iran continue into their second week, heightening concerns within Tehran’s leadership about regime destabilization.

“Ali Khamenei… has cut all electronic channels out of concern for his safety,” the report states, adding that the Supreme Leader is preparing for “worst-case scenarios,” including a potential coup.

It also notes that communications with senior military officials are now being conducted exclusively via one close aide.

In a striking revelation, the Times reports that Khamenei has made contingency plans to flee to Russia if the regime’s stability collapses. The Iranian leader has also reportedly formalized decisions regarding both military command succession and his own potential successor, identifying three senior clerics as candidates should he die during the crisis.

There has been no official response from Iranian authorities regarding the report, which comes at a time of extreme internal and external pressure on the Islamic Republic following U.S. and Israeli strikes on key nuclear sites.

The situation remains fluid, and analysts suggest these developments point to the most severe leadership security measures seen in Iran since the 1980s.

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Muttaqi: Turkey holds a special place in the foreign policy of IEA

During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Turkey, as well as key regional issues of mutual concern.

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On the sidelines of the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Turkey, as well as key regional issues of mutual concern.

At the outset, Muttaqi emphasized the deep historical and cultural ties between the two nations and described Turkey as having a special and strategic role in the foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate.

He called for expanded bilateral cooperation alongside the growing level of engagement between Kabul and Ankara.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reaffirmed the importance of Afghanistan for Turkey and stressed the need to further strengthen cooperation across various sectors.

The meeting was held in a spirit of mutual understanding, with both parties underscoring the importance of continued dialogue and constructive collaboration in pursuit of shared interests.

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