U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Wednesday that since August 14, more than 82,300 people have been flown out of Kabul.

Addressing a press conference in Washington, blinken said in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday, approximately 19,000 people were evacuated on 90 U.S. military and coalition flights.

He said however that as US President Joe Biden has made clear, Washington’s first priority is the evacuation of American citizens.

“Since August 14, we have evacuated at least 4,500 U.S. citizens and likely more. More than 500 of those Americans were evacuated in just the last day alone,” he said.

He said their evacuation efforts were being carried out in “a hostile environment” with the “very real possibility of an ISIS-K attack.”

He said however that the U.S. was on track to complete its mission by August 31.

However, Blinken stated that the Taliban has given them the assurance that they will allow for safe passage of evacuees.

“The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and permit safe passage for Americans, for third-country nationals, and Afghans at risk going forward past August 31st.

“The United States, our allies and partners, and more than half of the world’s countries – 114 in all – issued a statement making it clear to the Taliban that they have a responsibility to hold to that commitment and provide safe passage for anyone who wishes to leave the country – not just for the duration of our evacuation and relocation mission, but for every day thereafter,” he said.

With regard to Washington’s diplomatic engagement after August 31, Blinken said: “We’re looking at a series of options, and I’m sure we’ll have more on that in the coming days and weeks, but we’re looking at a variety of options.”

Blinken also stated that the U.S. has been engaged with the Taliban for a number of years in a bid to advance a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.
“There’s still talks and conversations underway even now between the Taliban and former members of the Afghan government with regard, for example, to a transfer of power and some inclusivity in a future government.

“And I think it’s in our interest where possible to support those efforts.

“Going forward, we will judge our engagement with any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan based on one simple proposition: our interests, and does it help us advance them or not. If engagement with the government can advance the enduring interests we will have in counterterrorism, the enduring interest we’ll have in trying to help the Afghan people who need humanitarian assistance, in the enduring interest we have in seeing that the rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls, are upheld, then we’ll do it,” he said.

“But fundamentally, the nature of that engagement and the nature of any relationship depends entirely on the actions and conduct of the Taliban,” Blinken stated.