US Officials Rules Out Reopening Embassy In Afghanistan

On Friday, The Washington Examiner reported, citing US National Security Council (NSC) and State Department spokespeople, that the United States has no intention of reopening its Kabul embassy.

NSC spokesperson James Hewitt said no discussions are underway about the embassy’s status, while a State Department spokesperson added, “The US does not recognise any entity as Afghanistan’s government and has no plans to reopen its embassy.”

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid recently told Al Arabiya that the group had asked the US to relinquish control of the Afghan embassy in Washington and reopen its Kabul mission, awaiting a response. The NSC countered: “We’ve made no commitments on the Afghan Embassy in Washington, and no talks are ongoing about the US Embassy compound in Kabul.”

Last month, a US delegation—including Adam Boehler, Donald Trump’s hostage affairs envoy, and Zalmay Khalilzad, former Afghanistan envoy—visited Kabul, meeting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Some reports suggest they first travelled to Kandahar to confer with figures close to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah.

The Taliban sought recognition as Afghanistan’s legitimate government during these talks and later released George Glezmann, a 66-year-old American tourist. Mujahid noted the US responded by lifting bounties on Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, and two Haqqani Network members, calling it a positive step for relations.

The US closed its Kabul embassy in August 2021 after withdrawing from Afghanistan, with diplomats since operating from Qatar. CNN reported, citing US officials, that the Taliban is pushing to win favour with Trump, aiming for formal ties and a US political office.

However, sources told CNN the US still designates the Taliban as a terrorist group, a view echoed by Vice President J.D. Vance, who once labelled them among the world’s worst terrorist organisations.