Trump threatens Afghanistan, Taliban release another American

The Taliban have released another US citizen—Amir Amiri, who had been imprisoned since December 2024. The release was brokered by Qatar shortly after US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler visited Kabul.

Amiri is the fifth US citizen this year to be released by the Taliban with the help of Qatari diplomacy. He traveled to Doha on Sunday evening.

The envoy's visit came just one week after President Donald Trump's sharp demand that the Taliban return control of the strategic Bagram base to the United States. Otherwise, he said, “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan.

The Bagram base, once an important pillar of US forces in the region, fell into the hands of the Taliban after the withdrawal of troops in 2021 and the fall of the US-backed government in Kabul. Bagram was used by US forces after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Qatar for its help and reiterated that the United States will not give up until all Americans who have been wrongfully imprisoned can return home.

(reuters, max)