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U.S. Should Remain in Afghanistan: Dunford
General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the presence of American forces in Afghanistan has disrupted the “enemy’s ability to reconstitute and pose threat to the United States.
Addressing an event organized by the Washington Post, Gen. Dunford said that the U.S. should remain in Afghanistan to contain the insurgent groups that pose threats not only to South Asia but to also to the American people.
“..were we not to put the pressure on Al-Qaeda, ISIS (Daesh) and other groups in the region we are putting on today, it is our assessment that, in a period of time their capability would reconstitute, and they have today the intent, and in the future, they would have the capability to do what we saw on 9/11,” Dunford said.
“The presence that we have in Afghanistan has, in fact, disrupted the enemy’s ability to reconstitute and pose a threat to us,” he noted.
The top U.S. general stressed that they will continue to put “sufficient” political, social and military pressures on the Taliban so that they will reconcile in Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process.
“The recent elections were another element in terms of being positive in putting political pressure on the Taliban. Social pressure – I was encouraged by the fact that Imams in Indonesia, in Pakistan and in Saudi Arabia had issued fatwa that truly I think advanced the case of the Afghan government,” Dunford said.
He, meanwhile, noted that the pressures on the Taliban are moving in the right direction. “We were seeing for the first time in many many years, some opportunities to initiate that Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process.”
However, Dunford said there is plenty of work needs to be done regarding the Afghan peace process, adding that political, social and military pressures are necessary on the Taliban.
“I have not recommended that we leave Afghanistan because again in my judgment leaving Afghanistan not only would create instability in South Asia but in my judgment, it would give the terrorist groups the space within which they plan and conduct operations against the American people, homeland and our allies,” Dunford said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that the security, stability and prosperity of Afghanistan are directly linked to the interests of its neighbouring countries, stressing that regional cooperation is essential for lasting peace and development.
Speaking at a regional meeting on Afghanistan in Tehran, Araghchi said no extra-regional or imposed solutions can resolve Afghanistan’s challenges, arguing that neighbouring states are the most natural and reliable partners in addressing regional crises. He said Iran has consistently emphasized the central role of neighbours in all initiatives related to Afghanistan.
Highlighting Afghanistan’s geo-economic position at the crossroads of Central, West and South Asia, Araghchi said the country’s stability and development are not only a humanitarian necessity but also a strategic requirement for the entire region.
He noted that Iran, as a long-standing neighbour and close partner of the Afghan people, supports Afghanistan’s full regional integration. Araghchi added that the failure of security-centric and externally imposed approaches, including NATO’s two-decade military presence and the hasty U.S. withdrawal in 2021, demonstrated the limits of outside intervention.
The Iranian foreign minister called for regular dialogue mechanisms among Afghanistan’s neighbours to prevent misunderstandings, improve coordination on economic, border and humanitarian issues, reduce tensions and strengthen regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, said Islamabad’s concerns over terrorism must be addressed resolutely, adding that Pakistan supports peace, development and security across the region.
Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, Minister of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has emphasized the importance of acquiring both religious and contemporary knowledge.
Speaking at a madrasa graduation ceremony in Kandahar province, he urged communities to support schools and education, stating: “Do not let your children remain uneducated. Pursue all forms of knowledge, both modern and religious.”
He added that the Islamic Emirate is committed to serving the people, with some forces protecting the borders and others safeguarding lives and property.
Separately, in a voice message to a separate ceremony in Khost, Mullah Tajmir Jawad, First Deputy of the General Directorate of Intelligence, highlighted Afghanistan’s historical role as a center of religious and scholarly learning, influenced by the Transoxiana and Deoband schools of thought.
He noted that today, Afghanistan has tens of thousands of active madrassas, educating a large number of youth, and that the Islamic Emirate gives special attention to both religious and modern sciences.
He said that the Islamic Emirate is also focused on reforming madrasa curricula, improving teaching methods, maintaining discipline, and raising the overall quality of education.
The United States has delivered a second batch of UH-60A+ Black Hawk helicopters—previously operated by Afghanistan’s former government forces—to Peru.
The helicopters were part of military equipment relocated to Uzbekistan following the Islamic Emirate’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, when 22 fixed-wing aircraft and 24 helicopters crossed into Uzbek airspace.
The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly demanded the return of the aircraft, but Uzbekistan has declined, maintaining that the equipment does not belong to Afghanistan. In February 2025, Uzbekistan transferred seven Afghan Black Hawk helicopters to the United States.
In November 2024, the United States presented Peru with the first batch of nine Sikorsky UH-60A+ Black Hawk multi-role helicopters.
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