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Blast at Russia Embassy in Kabul; 2 Embassy Staff among Dead

The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the building of the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 31 August 2022. (EPA)
The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the building of the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 31 August 2022. (EPA)
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Blast at Russia Embassy in Kabul; 2 Embassy Staff among Dead

The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the building of the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 31 August 2022. (EPA)
The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the building of the former US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 31 August 2022. (EPA)

A suicide bombing outside the Russian Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday killed two members of the embassy staff and at least one civilian, a local police official and a Russian state news agency said.

It was unclear if the attacker detonated the explosives himself or whether they went off when security forces shot him.

A higher death toll was expected, with conflicting reports saying between eight and 10 people had been killed.

The RIA Novosti news agency said explosion went off when a Russian diplomat came out to people waiting outside the embassy to call out the names of candidates for visas. Citing Moscow's Foreign Ministry, the agency later reported that two members of the embassy staff were killed.

Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said at least one civilian was killed and that 10 others were wounded.

Zadran said a suicide bomber was involved in the blast. He said the bomber was identified by security forces before he could get closer to the crowd waiting outside the embassy. Zadran said security forces shot the assailant.

It was not immediately clear if the attacker was able to set off the blast before being shot, or if the gunfire detonated the explosives.

Zadran said an investigation was under way, and that the area was blocked off by police.

According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the explosion occurred “in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the consular section of the Russian Embassy” in the Afghan capital.

“An unknown militant set off an explosive device,” the ministry said. “As a result of the attack, two members of the diplomatic mission were killed, and there are also victims among Afghan citizens.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, the latest to strike the country in the year since the Taliban seized power.

The ISIS group’s local affiliate has stepped up attacks against the Taliban and civilians since the former insurgents took over the country last year as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their withdrawal.

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Iran Warns Europeans That Reimposing Sanctions Could Have Irreversible Consequences

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via Reuters)
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via Reuters)
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Iran Warns Europeans That Reimposing Sanctions Could Have Irreversible Consequences

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via Reuters)
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via Reuters)

Iran's foreign minister warned Britain, France and Germany on Monday that a decision to trigger a UN mechanism reimposing sanctions on Tehran could lead to an irreversible escalation of tensions.

Under the terms of a UN resolution ratifying a 2015 nuclear pact, the three European powers could reimpose United Nations sanctions against Tehran before October 18, known in diplomatic circles as the "snapback mechanism".

"Iran has made its position clear. We have officially warned all JCPOA (nuclear pact) signatories that abuse of the snapback mechanism will lead to consequences — not only the end of Europe's role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote in a column in French weekly magazine Le Point.

US President Donald Trump exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear accord with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reimposed tough sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy.

The European powers are not part of current negotiations between Iran and the United States, the fourth round of which ended in Oman on Sunday.

But the three powers have sought to coordinate closely with Washington with a view to whether and when they should use the snapback mechanism to raise pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.

Trump said on Monday that Iran was "talking intelligently."

"We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can't have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple. So I think they understand that I mean business and I think they're being very reasonable thus far," he told reporters.

Talks between the so-called E3 and Iran in Rome earlier in May were postponed. Araqchi said that a meeting between Iran's deputy foreign minister and E3 counterparts had since taken place, describing them as a "promising, but fragile start."

France's foreign ministry declined to comment. The British and German foreign ministries were not immediately available to comment.

According to diplomats and a document seen by Reuters, the E3 countries may trigger a snapback by August if no substantial deal can be found by then. The window closes on October 18.

Relations between the E3 and Iran have worsened over the last year despite sporadic meetings, against a backdrop of new sanctions imposed on Tehran over its ballistic missile program, its detention of foreign citizens and support for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Iran, which has long said its nuclear program is peaceful, has breached the 2015 pact's nuclear curbs since 2019, including "dramatically" accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons-grade, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.

It denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.