The Sunday’s article frames the move as a necessary step in safeguarding Iran’s sovereignty and cites recent intelligence reports on “involvement of certain migrants in hostile espionage activities during a 12-day armed conflict with Israel.”
According to the editorial, the delayed but decisive response by Iranian authorities followed revelations of alleged cooperation between Afghans and Israeli intelligence aimed at destabilizing the country.
It warned against individuals and groups attempting to “sanitize” those accused, describing them as profiteers seeking to preserve their financial interests under the guise of humanitarian concern.
The piece also criticized some Iranians for shedding “crocodile tears” for departing migrants, suggesting such sentiments were “naïve and misplaced.”
State media also came under scrutiny for downplaying the role of undocumented migrants in “security incidents, including attacks in religious sanctuaries and widespread armed thefts.”
The newspaper emphasized that Afghanistan’s security conditions now justify the repatriation of its nationals and that Iran had previously borne significant costs in hosting millions of Afghans.
It concluded that the government’s actions align with international norms and popular domestic sentiment.
