ties between afghanistan and iran became further strained in recent years due to iran's toughened immigration policy, hastening the repatriation of many afghan asylum seekers. a number of afghans were executed by hanging in public for crimes punishable with death in iran (murder, rape, smuggling large amount of drugs, and armed robbery) which sparked angry demonstrations in afghanistan. between 2010 and 2011, afghan and iranian security forces were involved in border skirmish in nimroz province of afghanistan. in july 2011, iran decided to cut off electricity exports to afghanistan's nimroz province. in march 2012, najibullah kabuli, leader of the "national participation front" (npf) of afghanistan, accused three senior leaders of iran's revolutionary guards of plotting to assassinate him. some members of the afghan parliament accuses iran of setting up taliban bases in several iranian cities, and that "iran is directly involved in fanning ethnic, linguistic and sectarian tensions in afghanistan."