Afghanistan’s Taliban government rejects US allegation that it engages in ‘hostage diplomacy’

Afghanistan’s Taliban government firmly rejected U.S. allegations on Tuesday that it detains foreigners to gain leverage over other countries, insisting that arrests are made solely for legal violations rather than diplomatic bargaining.

The denial came after the U.S. State Department designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention on Monday, accusing the Taliban regime of engaging in “hostage diplomacy.” This designation places Afghanistan alongside Iran, which received similar classification from the U.S. earlier this month for allegedly detaining Americans to extract policy concessions.

“The government of Afghanistan underscores that no foreign nationals have been detained for purposes of a deal,” Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement from Kabul. “Certain individuals have been detained on charges of violating established laws, and in many instances, they have been released in the normal course following the completion of legal procedures.”

The ministry described the U.S. designation as “regrettable” while maintaining that ongoing diplomatic discussions with the United States on the matter have been constructive.

The dispute highlights continuing tensions between the Taliban government, which seized power in August 2021 following the U.S. military withdrawal, and Washington, which has refused to recognize the regime officially. No country has formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government since its takeover.

In July, Taliban representatives at a United Nations-led meeting in Doha had suggested exchanging Afghans detained at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay for Americans held in Afghanistan—a proposal that may have contributed to the U.S. decision to apply the designation.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a warning on Monday advising Americans against traveling to Afghanistan, stating that the Taliban “continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals.” Rubio condemned what he called “terrorist tactics,” accusing the regime of “kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions.”

The State Department specifically called for the release of two Americans believed to be in Taliban custody. Dennis Coyle, an academic researcher, has been detained since January 2025, while Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, vanished in 2022. While the FBI and Habibi’s family believe he was taken by Taliban forces, the regime has consistently denied holding him.

The issue of detainees has become a significant point of contention in what remains of U.S.-Afghan relations. In September 2025, the Taliban government released U.S. citizen Amir Amiri from an Afghan prison in what was widely viewed as a gesture aimed at normalizing relations with the United States.

Diplomatic sources familiar with the region note that detainee issues often serve as one of the few remaining channels of communication between Washington and Kabul, with prisoner exchanges offering rare opportunities for direct engagement between the two sides.

The Taliban government continues to face international isolation more than three years after taking power, with humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan deteriorating amid economic sanctions and restricted international aid. The regime’s severe restrictions on women’s rights and education have further complicated its efforts to gain international recognition.

The U.S. designation marks another setback for any potential normalization of relations between Washington and Kabul, extending the diplomatic impasse that has characterized their relationship since the Taliban takeover.