In a turn of events heavy with geopolitical irony, the Taliban, once engaged in a two-decade-long war against the United States and its allies, now say their top foreign policy priority is the lifting of American sanctions.
Speaking to Arab news outlet, Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, son of the group’s late founder Mullah Omar, stated that the Islamic Emirate’s primary concern in its engagement with Washington revolves around political and economic issues, with sanctions relief topping the agenda.
This comes amid ongoing US restrictions on Afghanistan’s financial system, including the freezing of central bank assets since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. The group remains designated as a global terrorist organisation by Washington, with many of its senior leaders still under personal sanctions.
Despite this status, Taliban officials continue to seek legitimacy on the international stage. Local news outlets report that the Taliban leadership is actively lobbying for recognition and increased engagement from Western powers, particularly the United States. While Russia has formally recognised the group, most of the international community continues to withhold recognition, citing concerns over human rights, women’s freedoms, and inclusive governance.
Yaqoob, who recently visited Doha and expressed solidarity with Qatari leadership, claimed that the Taliban are fully committed to the Doha Agreement, the same deal signed with the United States in 2020 that facilitated the withdrawal of American troops. He emphasized that Afghan soil would not be used to threaten other countries, reiterating a long-standing Taliban pledge.
In a bid to project a more conventional image of statehood, the defence minister also claimed “significant steps” have been taken to build a national army, a force that would, in theory, operate under traditional military structures, though the group remains rooted in decades of guerrilla warfare and ideological militancy.
Since March, at least two US delegations have quietly visited Kabul, according to Afghan officials. These visits included Adam Boehler, the US presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The meetings reportedly centred on humanitarian issues and the release of American nationals detained in Afghanistan, but they also signal a pragmatic, if unofficial, channel of communication between the former foes.
Observers note the irony of the Taliban’s new foreign policy tone. Having framed their struggle as a fight for independence from foreign domination, the group is now engaged in diplomatic manoeuvring to persuade the very powers it once expelled to lift restrictions and unfreeze assets.
While Taliban leaders often cite sovereignty and resistance as core tenets of their identity, the current appeals for economic relief and international engagement underscore the limits of military victory when not accompanied by diplomatic legitimacy and economic sustainability.
