U.S. designates Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accuses it of ’hostage diplomacy’

The U.S. State Division on Monday (March 9, 2026) designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention because the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations individually referred to as out the nation for participating in what he mentioned was “hostage diplomacy.”

With the designation, Afghanistan joins Iran as nations singled out by the U.S. prior to now two weeks for his or her follow of detaining People in hopes of extracting coverage concessions. Iran was given an equivalent designation on Feb. 27, in the future earlier than the U.S. and Israel launched strikes towards the Islamic Republic in what has since turn out to be a battle within the Center East.

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The designations are designed to ramp up strain on each nations to cease taking People hostage or danger penalties.

“The Taliban continues to make use of terrorist techniques, kidnapping people for ransom or to hunt coverage concessions. These despicable techniques want to finish,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned in an announcement. “It’s not secure for People to journey to Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow People and different international nationals.”

Mr. Rubio referred to as on the Taliban to launch People believed to be in its custody, together with Dennis Coyle, an educational researcher detained within the nation since January 2025, and Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who labored as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications firm and vanished in 2022. The FBI and Habibi’s household have mentioned they consider Habibi was taken by Taliban forces, however the Taliban has denied holding him.

Eric Lebson, a former Nationwide Safety Council official who serves as chief technique officer at International Attain, a nonprofit that’s engaged on the instances of Habibi and different detained People, praised the designation as a “clear message from the Trump administration to the Taliban that they maintain the keys to resolving 4 instances of People who have been arrested of their nation and nothing will transfer ahead within the U.S./Afghanistan relationship till that occurs.”

Additionally on Monday (March 9, 2026), Mike Waltz, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., accused Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders of participating in “hostage diplomacy,” pointing to harmless People being detained. He additionally questioned the $1 billion in humanitarian support being looked for the nation when its leaders deny Afghan ladies their primary rights.

Mr. Waltz informed a U.N. Safety Council assembly that the Taliban’s actions “display unhealthy religion” and have made the U.S. “deeply skeptical of their willingness to fulfill their worldwide commitments or respect Afghanistan’s worldwide obligations.”

He mentioned this concern applies to the Doha peace deal that President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban in February 2020, which led to the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover of the nation, and its harsh crackdown on the rights of ladies.

“Whereas the USA continues to take part within the (Doha) course of and its working teams, we doubt the Taliban’s motives,” Waltz mentioned. “We can not construct confidence with a gaggle that continues to detain harmless People and ignores the fundamental wants of the Afghan individuals.”