The United States has firmly ruled out any plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul or recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, according to official statements issued by the White House National Security Council (NSC) and the State Department.
“There are no discussions underway about the status of the US Embassy in Kabul,” said NSC spokesperson James Hewitt, while a State Department spokesperson stated, “The US does not recognise any entity as Afghanistan’s government and has no plans to reopen its embassy.”
The clarification comes amid reports that the Taliban have asked Washington to relinquish control of the Afghan embassy in the US and reestablish its diplomatic mission in Kabul. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Al Arabiya that the group awaits a US response to their requests. However, 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 former officials Adam Boehler and Zalmay Khalilzad visited Kabul and reportedly held meetings with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Some sources indicate they may have first travelled to Kandahar for consultations with figures close to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah.
During these meetings, the Taliban pressed for official recognition and later released 66-year-old American tourist George Glezmann. Mujahid claimed the US responded by lifting bounties on Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and two members of the Haqqani Network, calling it a “positive step” toward improved relations.
The US closed its Kabul embassy in August 2021 following its military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Since then, American diplomats have been operating from Qatar. Despite recent outreach, US officials maintain a hard line, with CNN reporting that the Taliban are attempting to appeal to former President Donald Trump in hopes of establishing formal ties and a political office.
However, the US still designates the Taliban as a terrorist organisation—a position reaffirmed by multiple sources and echoed by Vice President J.D. Vance, who previously described the group as among the world’s most dangerous terrorist entities.
