Afghan Jihadi Leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf Visits Iran For High-Level Talks

Multiple sources have confirmed to Afghanistan International that Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a prominent jihadi leader, has travelled to Iran for discussions with Iranian officials on the situation in Afghanistan. He is also holding meetings with Afghan factions based in Iran.

A former Afghan government official, speaking to Afghanistan International, stated that Sayyaf’s visit was made at the invitation of the Iranian government. Sayyaf’s son, Habib-ur-Rahman Sayyaf, also confirmed that his father travelled from India to Iran.

Sayyaf, a key member of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, has been residing in Turkiye since the fall of the previous Afghan government. His visit to Iran follows recent meetings between commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian diplomats with members of the National Resistance Council in Turkiye.

Three credible sources told Afghanistan International that during these meetings, Iranian officials, including Seyed Hossein Mousavi, Nasser Ghazalipour, and Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, advised Afghan opposition leaders—such as Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Taj Mohammad Jahid—to avoid aligning with Pakistan.

Before these discussions, a high-level delegation from Pakistan’s intelligence agency (ISI) had also met with members of the National Resistance Council and jihadi figures in Istanbul. Sources confirmed that Salahuddin Rabbani, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Karim Khalili were among those who participated in the meetings.

According to sources, Iranian officials urged Taliban opposition leaders to distance themselves from Pakistan.