Latest News
IEA closer to gaining recognition: Afghan Foreign Minister
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is inching closer towards international recognition, said Amir Khan Muttaqi in an interview with AFP.
In his first interview since returning from talks with Western powers in Oslo, Muttaqi also urged Washington to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets to help ease the humanitarian crisis.
No country has formally recognised the government installed after the collapse of the former government in August as US-led forces withdrew following a 20-year occupation.
But Muttaqi told AFP late Wednesday that Afghanistan’s new rulers were slowly gaining international acceptance.
“On the process of getting recognition… we have come closer to that goal,” he said.
“That is our right, the right of the Afghans. We will continue our political struggle and efforts until we get our right.”
The talks in Norway last month were the first involving the IEA on Western soil in decades.
Muttaqi said his government was actively engaged with the international community — a clear indication, he insisted, of growing acceptance
“The international community wants to have interaction with us,” he said. “We have had good achievements in that.
Muttaqi said several countries were operating embassies in Kabul, with more expected to open soon.
“We expect that the embassies of some of the European and Arab countries will open too,” he said.
But Muttaqi said any concessions the IEA made in areas such as human rights would be on their terms and not as a result of international pressure.
“What we are doing in our country is not because we have to meet conditions, nor are we doing it under someone’s pressure,” he said.
Latest News
US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.
Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.
Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”
According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.
A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.
Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.
Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.
China has warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the terrorist threat in Afghanistan remains severe and requires urgent international attention, citing the continued presence and activities of several extremist groups on Afghan soil.
Speaking at the Council’s meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Chinese envoy Sun Lei said organizations such as ISIL, al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) are still operating in Afghanistan and pose “persistent threats” to the country and the wider region.
Sun referred to last month’s deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan, which killed seven people and was claimed by ISIL-K, as a reminder of the group’s ongoing operational capability. He urged the Afghan authorities to “attach great importance” to counterterrorism efforts and to take concrete measures to prevent the country from once again becoming a hub for extremist networks.
He added that China supports deeper regional cooperation — particularly among Central Asian states and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) — to jointly confront cross-border terrorist threats, while also helping Afghanistan stabilize its economy.
Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also raised concerns, saying the Afghan authorities continue to provide a “permissive environment” for groups such as TTP, al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and ETIM/TIP. He warned that these organizations endanger not only Pakistan but the entire region, and highlighted the risk of advanced weapons left behind in Afghanistan falling into militant hands.
U.S. representative Mike Waltz broadened the discussion, noting the expansion of al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIL-linked groups in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the resilience of ISIL cells in Syria and Iraq. He said ISIL-K (Daesh) remains a persistent threat in Afghanistan, underscoring the need for sustained and coordinated global counterterrorism efforts.
Regional countries have repeatedly raised concern about terrorist threats in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns, reiterating that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates freed around 108 Afghan prisoners on the occasion of its National Day.
According to the statement, a number of those released have already returned to the country, while the remaining individuals will be repatriated in the near future after the completion of legal and administrative procedures.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the UAE government and relevant institutions for their cooperation and humanitarian gesture, and assured that efforts to follow up on the cases of Afghan prisoners abroad will continue.
US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
Terrorist threat in Afghanistan must be taken seriously, China tells UNSC
More than 100 Afghan nationals released from UAE prisons
Fifty-five thousand Ukrainian soldiers killed on battlefield, Zelenskiy tells French TV
Tahawol: Discussion on UNSC meeting on Daesh threats
Turkey withdraws from Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation amid rising tensions
ICG report says Pakistan most impacted by IEA’s return in Afghanistan
Afghanistan–China joint market opens in Kabul
Pakistan approves re-export of stranded Afghan transit trade cargo
ATN secures broadcast rights to Carabao Cup semis across Afghanistan
Tahawol: Discussion on UNSC meeting on Daesh threats
Saar: Rising expectations for US-Iran talks in Oman
Tahawol: Regional security concerns regarding Afghanistan reviewed
Saar: Upcoming negotiations between Iran-US discussed
Tahawol: Afghanistan’s bid to engage with SCO
-
Sport4 days agoAFC Futsal Asian Cup: Afghanistan to face Iran in crucial Group D clash
-
Sport5 days agoT20 World Cup 2026: Afghanistan national cricket team arrives in India
-
Sport3 days agoAFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026: Final eight confirmed
-
Business5 days agoPakistan, China plan to extend CPEC to Afghanistan, revive trilateral framework
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan granted 30,000 Hajj quota for 2026
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan in new kit for T20 World Cup warm-up against Scotland
-
Sport4 days agoIran see off spirited Afghanistan to finish top of Group D
-
Sport2 days agoJapan trumps Afghanistan 6-0 in AFC Futsal Asian Cup quarter-final