Former Afghan army pilot Mohammad Amir Tavasoli has set himself on fire in Golshahr, Mashhad, after failing to extend his stay in Iran and receiving a departure permit.
The head of the Mashhad fire department confirmed the news and said that the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, 2025 May 18, and the victim died of severe burns before rescue forces arrived.
According to sources, Tavasoli took this action out of fear of returning to Afghanistan and the Taliban’s revenge. Mohammad Mohaqiq, a member of the Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, called the incident tragic and called on Iranian authorities to be tolerant of refugees, especially former soldiers.
Thousands of former Afghan government forces who took refuge in Iran after the Taliban took control are facing deportation.
