Afghans who risked their lives for Britain reveal 'panic' over claims Iran is plotting with the Taliban to exploit lost government database

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Afghans who risked their lives for Britain told of their 'panic' at claims Iran is plotting with the Taliban to exploit a lost database containing their details alongside those of MI6 spies.
The Afghans in hiding have dubbed it a 'deal of devils' and believe such an agreement between the brutal leaderships in Tehran and Kabul will increase their value as targets of both regimes.
Ahmad, who worked with both the SAS and SBS, said: 'Our lives are now at greater risk because our importance to both Iran and Afghanistan has increased as they will think we know information about the Britons.
'Reports of a deal of devils has spread quickly among those in hiding in Iran, it has caused panic and terror as our value to both sides has increased.
The 38-year-old, who fled with his wife and children to Iran after the Taliban takeover is waiting to hear if he can relocate to the UK. Last week he was arrested and tortured but released. Now he believes that if he is arrested again, he will face further torture to reveal those from Britain he worked with.
Among thousands of Afghans hiding inside Iran are families who have qualified for sanctuary in the UK and hundreds waiting to see if they can relocate.
Iran is said to have asked Afghanistan's warlords for access to the highly sensitive dataset 'so they can hunt down MI6 spies'.
Tehran's fundamentalist leaders are desperately seeking leverage with the West ahead of nuclear negotiations this autumn.
While the loss of the list put 100,000 Afghans at risk of death, it also included the names of more than 100 British officials, including military commanders, MI6 and Special Forces.
The Daily Mail has seen a copy of the full dataset and although codes are used, and the list does not specifically identify any spies or special forces, it could be a valuable dataset for an enemy.
Security officials point out that Iran has been 'running agents of many nationalities' in the UK for several years posing an increased threat to those named although the names on the list are seen 'primarily as a 'bargaining chip'.
When the Daily Mail discovered this data breach disaster in 2023, the government secured a court order to hush it up, triggering a 23-month battle in secret courts for open justice.
Finally, last month the Government abandoned its super-injunction and the public discovered ministers had secretly agreed a £7billion scheme, including a mass evacuation programme to rescue thousands of Afghans who had worked for British forces.
But then ministers ordered lawyers to gag the Daily Mail and others with a second High Court injunction, to prevent us revealing how the lost list had included details of more than a hundred MI6 spies, Special Forces and other UK officials.
The Revolutionary Guard's demand comes after Britain, France and Germany threatened Tehran with a so-called snapback mechanism, which would restore UN Security Council resolutions against it, if no progress is made on negotiations over its nuclear programme by August 30.
Iran has deported thousands of Afghans, many into the arms of the Taliban which has moved biometrics containing details of those who worked for the West to border crossing points. At least four of those who worked for the Afghan forces and Coalition have been executed since news of the list was made public.
The Taliban has claimed to have had the list for two years but UK officials say there is no evidence to confirm the claim.
Afghans inside Iran say that if the list is handed to Tehran then they will be Kabul's reward.
Waheed, 40, who worked beside UK forces for three years and is now hiding with his brother in Iran, while he waits to lean if he can relocate, said: 'This agreement would be terrifying as the Taliban's reward for sharing the list would be for Afghans who worked against them to be arrested and deported into their arms. It would mean torture and probably death for many of us.
'I worked with intelligence forces and they would torture us for details of the British we worked with – some have kept pictures, others still message their ex-colleagues – so they could give such things to the (Revolutionary) Guards.'
He added: 'If the Taliban has the list why would they not do it? It would be a big gain for them – those they see as spies for Britain would be passed to them while Iran would be in their debt.'