The Taliban Kicked the U.S. Out of Afghanistan. Now They Want It Back.

What the report says

In an interview, Afghanistan’s foreign minister urged the United States to reopen its embassy in Kabul and consider investing in the country, a message that reflects the Taliban government’s effort to seek broader international engagement even as its rule remains highly contested. The New York Times reported that this request comes from the same movement that forced the U.S. out of Afghanistan, underscoring the sharp reversal in posture.

According to the Times, analysts and former diplomats view the appeal as difficult to advance in the near term. The United States has not normalized relations with the Taliban government, and any return to embassy operations would depend on major political and security changes that are not yet in place.

The reported comments matter because they point to the Taliban’s push for diplomatic recognition, economic support, and access to foreign investment as Afghanistan continues to face isolation. More broadly, the episode highlights the challenge for Western governments: engaging with the Taliban enough to address humanitarian and practical concerns while avoiding steps that could be seen as legitimizing the group’s rule.

Context: Afghanistan has remained under Taliban control since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, and relations with Washington have stayed strained since then.