Afghanistan’s rulers released a US citizen from custody following a visit by Washington’s hostage envoy, the US government and Taliban said on September 28, as the ostracized Taliban rulers continue efforts to improve relations with the West.
Amir Amiri, held in Afghanistan since December 2024, was released with help of Qatari government mediation and is on his way to Doha, an official source was quoted by Reuters as saying on September 28.
The release comes a week after US President Donald Trump told the Taliban he was seeking the return of Bagram air base to the United States and threatened “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan if it were not handed over.
Amiri’s release — the fifth of a US citizen this year — was carried out as US envoy Adam Boehler visited Kabul for talks with the Taliban rulers.
“I want to thank Qatar for helping secure his freedom,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X. “POTUS [Trump] has made it clear we will not stop until every American unjustly detained abroad is back home.”
A week ago, the Taliban released an elderly British couple after nearly eight months. Peter Reynolds, 80, and Barbie, 76, arrived in Britain on September 20 on a flight from Doha, where they had stayed for medical examinations after their release.
Since the fall of the Western-backed Afghan government in August 2021, Qatar has often handled US interests in the country in dealings with the de-facto Taliban rulers.
CBS news reported Qatar began negotiating for Amiri’s release in March. The report, citing sources, said Qatari diplomats monitored Amiri’s health and maintained close communication with US officials during his detention.
A Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the identity of the man as Amir Amiri but did not provide details of his detention.
Little is known of Amiri’s situation. AFP quoted an unnamed official as saying the man was 36 years old.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan released an American citizen named Amir Amiri from prison today,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
“The Afghan government does not view the issues of citizens from a political angle and makes it clear that ways can be found to resolve issues through diplomacy,” the statement added.
On September 19, Trump said the United States is attempting to get the Bagram base back from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, citing the extremist group’s need for US help and the facility’s proximity to China’s nuclear assets.
Bagram was once the largest US military base in Afghanistan, but it was handed over in July 2021 to the previous Afghan government — weeks before the chaotic withdrawal of US troops and the eventual takeover of the country by the Taliban.
The Taliban rulers rejected the presence of foreign troops in the country.
However, the Taliban government, ruling a country hit by natural disasters, unrest, poverty, and terrorist attacks, has attempted to improve ties with the global community, especially the United States.
As of now, Russia is the only country to establish diplomatic relations, as other nations have demanded improvements in the Taliban rights records, especially toward woman.
