The Taliban leadership is under growing international pressure after a senior US envoy delivered a message from President Donald Trump in Kabul, demanding the immediate release of American citizens languishing in Taliban custody.
According to the sources, Adam Boehler, the US special envoy for hostage affairs, met Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar and conveyed Trump’s concern over the unlawful detention of Americans. He urged Baradar to personally relay Washington’s message to Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
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Boehler is said to have placed particular emphasis on the case of Mahmoud Shah Habibi, pressing for his swift release alongside other prisoners, while warning that continued defiance would further expose the Taliban’s abuse of power.
In response, Baradar reportedly sought time to consult Akhundzada in Kandahar, reflecting the Taliban’s hesitancy to respond to mounting US pressure.
Although the Taliban’s official statements portrayed Boehler’s meetings with Baradar and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as discussions on economic cooperation, sanctions relief, and normalisation of ties, sources confirmed that Washington’s overriding priority was the release of detainees.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv on Friday, acknowledged that talks with the Taliban had been ongoing but withheld further details.
The Taliban have consistently refused to disclose how many Americans they are holding, fueling criticism of their opaque and repressive methods. Earlier this year, Taliban sources confirmed that Boehler had warned Muttaqi the group’s ministries could face retaliation if captives were not freed—an indication of Washington’s growing impatience with what is widely seen as the Taliban’s hostage diplomacy.
