Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tehran is following up on the status of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a press conference that the number of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan is very small, and Tehran is seriously pursuing their situation.

Esmaeil Baghaei, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, clarified: "We are pursuing this; the number of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan does not even reach the fingers of one hand, just a few individuals. We are following up on the situation of all of them. As far as I know, one of the detained individuals has been released."

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s Prison Affairs Administration has stated that only one Iranian citizen is currently held in Afghan prisons.

According to the spokesperson of this administration, around 1,600 Afghan citizens who were imprisoned in Iran have been transferred back to Afghanistan over the past three years.

Mohammad Naseem Lala Hand, spokesperson for the Prison Affairs Administration, added: "In recent days, 199 Afghan prisoners have been transferred from Iran to Afghanistan and handed over to the Prison Affairs Administration. In total, over approximately three years, close to 1,600 Afghan prisoners have been transferred from Iran to Afghanistan."

Some experts believe that the Islamic Emirate should engage in dialogue with countries where Afghan citizens are imprisoned and facilitate their transfer back to the country.

Fazl-ur-Rahman Oria, a political analyst, said: "Tens of thousands of prisoners currently behind bars in Iran should be systematically and regularly handed over to the Afghan government. It should not be forgotten that Afghans are imprisoned in various countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and European countries. It is the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate to work for the release of Afghan prisoners held in other countries."

This comes as nearly 200 Afghan prisoners who had been held in Iranian prisons for years were recently handed over to the interim government by Iran.