Taliban renews call for US to reopen embassy in Kabul

The Taliban has renewed its call to restore diplomatic relations with the United States, urging Washington to reopen its embassy in Kabul and allow the Afghan embassy to resume operations in Washington. This comes five years after the Taliban returned to power, while the US continues to refuse recognition of its government.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, in an interview with RT India aired on Friday, said the movement seeks good relations with all countries, including the United States, stressing that "relations between Afghanistan and the US are extremely important."

Mujahid added, "We want to reactivate the US embassy in Afghanistan and open the Afghan embassy in Washington," while also calling on the US to change what he described as its "war policy."

Washington closed its embassy in Kabul and suspended operations there in August 2021, coinciding with the withdrawal of US forces and the Taliban's takeover of the Afghan capital. The US has yet to respond to repeated Taliban requests to reopen the embassy, although channels of communication remain open on several issues.

Frozen assets top Taliban demands

Mujahid placed the issue of frozen Afghan assets among the key topics for improving relations with the US, saying that releasing billions of dollars would contribute to this goal.

He explained that part of these assets belong to the Afghan central bank, while other funds, according to him, are owned by Afghan businessmen. Frozen reserves have remained a major point of contention between the Taliban and Washington since the movement's return to power, alongside issues such as human rights, women's and girls' rights, and counterterrorism.

Ongoing relations with Islamic countries

Mujahid said Kabul maintains "normal relations and official interactions" with several Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

He noted that the embassies of these countries operate in Kabul, while Afghan missions in those countries are managed by Taliban authorities. He added that the decision to grant official recognition rests with each state.

Recognition dispute and women's rights

The Taliban spokesperson rejected linking international recognition of its government to policy changes, describing such conditions as "unfair."

When asked whether restrictions on women's education and employment might be lifted in exchange for international legitimacy, Mujahid dismissed any connection between the two. These restrictions, particularly on education and work, remain major obstacles to broader international recognition of the Taliban government.

Despite five years since the Taliban regained power, international recognition of its government remains extremely limited. Russia was the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government in July 2025.