Taliban Denies U.S. Claims of Using Americans as Bargaining Chips

Afghanistan's Taliban government has dismissed U.S. accusations that it holds foreign nationals to gain political leverage. The State Department recently labeled Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, citing concerns over "hostage diplomacy."

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban officials on Tuesday pushed back against American accusations that they hold foreign citizens captive to gain political advantages, insisting that Afghan law enforcement arrests individuals solely for breaking the country’s laws, not for negotiating purposes.

The State Department made the announcement Monday, officially classifying Afghanistan as a nation that sponsors wrongful detention and claiming it practices “hostage diplomacy.” This designation places Afghanistan alongside Iran, which received similar criticism from the U.S. within the last two weeks for holding Americans to secure policy changes.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry in Kabul described the U.S. designation as “regrettable” in their Tuesday response.

During a United Nations-facilitated conference in Doha this past July, Taliban representatives suggested trading Afghans imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for Americans currently held in Afghanistan. The ministry characterized their ongoing diplomatic conversations with the United States about this matter as productive on Tuesday. However, they emphasized that any foreign nationals in Afghan custody had broken the nation’s laws.

“The government of Afghanistan underscores that no foreign nationals have been detained for purposes of a deal,” the ministry said. “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.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a travel warning for Americans on Monday, advising against trips to Afghanistan because the Taliban “continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals.”

“The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end,” Rubio said.

Rubio demanded freedom for two Americans reportedly in Taliban hands: Dennis Coyle, a university researcher held since January 2025, and Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan American business owner who worked as a contractor for a telecommunications firm based in Kabul and disappeared in 2022.

Both the FBI and Habibi’s relatives believe Taliban forces captured him, though Taliban officials deny having him in custody.

Last September, Afghan Taliban authorities released American citizen Amir Amiri from prison as part of efforts to improve diplomatic ties with Washington.