Local officials in Herat report a sharp rise in the number of Afghan refugees returning from Iran as Israeli airstrikes on various Iranian cities continue.

According to statistics, nearly 10,000 Afghan migrants are entering Afghanistan daily through the Islam Qala border in Herat.

Abdul Zahir Rahmani, Deputy Director of Border Affairs for Returnees and Refugees at the Islam Qala crossing, stated: "Recently, due to war and insecurity in Iran, the return of refugees from the country has increased. Between 8,000 to 10,000 individuals are returning daily via the Islam Qala border—excluding those with passports. This figure includes only those who are deported or return without legal documents. Of these, around 4,000 to 5,000 are families, while the rest are single individuals."

Some of the returnees say they were forced to return to Afghanistan out of fear and concern over Israeli airstrikes.

Nabiullah, a returnee from Iran, said: "I was living in Tehran, and in recent days the war intensified. Missiles were hitting the city, and there was fire and smoke everywhere. Eventually, we were forced to flee."

Another returnee, Abdul Razaq, said: "On the first night, around 3 a.m., there was a loud noise. When I stepped outside, I saw our surroundings had been bombed. The area in Tehran where we lived was heavily attacked, and the fighting was intense."

Abdul Ahad, who lived with his family in Tehran, witnessed several nights of Israeli airstrikes across different parts of the Iranian capital.

He said: "The war began last week. At first, it was mild for a couple of days, but then the intensity grew each day. I took my family and fled—we have returned to Afghanistan."
The Iran-Israel conflict has now entered its ninth day.

According to Iranian government figures, more than 720 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded in the Israeli airstrikes. Reports also indicate that some Afghan migrants were among those killed.