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Afghan embassy in DC to close
The Afghan embassy in Washington, which is under severe financial pressure and cut off from the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government in Kabul, will close down in the coming week, a senior State Department official confirmed Saturday.
Its diplomats, holdovers from the old government, now have a month to apply for US visas before being deported – though not back to Afghanistan, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, AFP reported.
Around 100 diplomats currently work at the embassy in Washington or at Afghan consulates in Los Angeles and in New York, according to The New York Times.
Roughly one-fourth have yet to apply to remain in the US, the American official said.
“The Afghan Embassy and consulates are under severe financial pressure. Their bank accounts are not available to them,” the official told AFP.
He added, “we have no intention of accrediting diplomats who are appointed by the Taliban (IEA) at this time.”
The group will retain its current diplomatic status for 30 days.
The official said the State Department had “now made arrangements in cooperation with the Afghan Embassy to facilitate an orderly shutdown of operations in a way that would protect and preserve all diplomatic mission property in the United States until operations are able to resume,” AFP reported.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it will continue providing its essential health services to the people of Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the organization, referring to Afghanistan’s health needs, said that over the past year it has been active in various health sectors across the country, ranging from maternal and child care to emergency response, as well as the treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis and severe injuries.
According to MSF, its teams over the past year have been present at a range of health facilities, including neonatal intensive care units, operating theatres, surgical centers, and specialized tuberculosis treatment wards, where they have delivered life-saving services to patients.
The organization stressed that it will continue ensuring the provision of health services, particularly for needy families and vulnerable communities in remote areas of Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan, currently run by diplomats of the previous government, has announced that it will suspend its operations in Tokyo after the end of January 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the embassy said the decision was made after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Japanese authorities, and in accordance with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The embassy added that after January 31, all of its political, economic, cultural, and consular activities will be halted until further notice.
Currently, Shaida Abdali is serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting with Zakir Jalali, the Second Political Deputy of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the start of his mission.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post that the meeting included mutual exchanges of views on bilateral relations.
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