Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said Tuesday that Thomas West, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, pressed the Islamic Emirate delegation at the Doha meeting for the release of two American citizens held in an Afghanistan prison.

“During these meetings, Special Rep West pressed for the immediate and unconditional release of US citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan, noting that these detentions impede progress in the Taliban’s (IEA) own desire for international recognition. US officials continue to press for their release continuously and at every opportunity,” he said.

Patel further elaborated that both West and Special Envoy Rina Amiri met directly with IEA representatives during the Doha 3 meetings to address the matter.

“So to widen the aperture a little bit, Special Representative Tom West and Special Envoy Amiri met directly with Taliban (IEA) representatives during the Doha 3 meetings,” he added.

Previously, two senior US national security officials told NBC News that two American citizens are currently imprisoned by the IEA.

Claudia Tenney, a US Congress member, stated earlier that one of the detainees Ryan Corbett has been detained in Afghanistan without any charges since August 20, 2022.

Meanwhile, speaking in a press conference on Wednesday in Kabul Zabiullah Mujahid, who led the IEA’s delegation to Doha said that they had a short conversation with the American representatives and discussed the release of Afghan prisoners from American prisons, especially those imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay.

“In the conversation with the American representative, there was a discussion about the two American prisoners in Afghanistan, and we also discussed about the Afghan prisoners who are imprisoned by the Americans in Guantanamo bay, and just as they want the release of their prisoners and it is important for them, the release of Afghan prisoners is also important for us,” said Mujahid.

Although the Islamic Emirate has good relations with the neighboring countries and the region, its relations with the West, especially the United States, are not very good, and the Islamic Emirate considers the United States to be the biggest obstacle to its global legitimacy, the IEA has said.