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The Taliban has released another U.S. citizen, Amir Amiri, after nearly a year in detention in Afghanistan. According to U.S. officials, Amiri was freed on Sunday following mediation led by Qatar and is currently en route to Doha. He had been detained since December 2024.
The release comes shortly after U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler visited Afghanistan. It also follows a strong warning from President Donald Trump, who urged the Taliban to return Bagram air base to U.S. control, cautioning that “bad things” would happen if they refused. Bagram, once a central hub for American operations after the September 11, 2001 attacks, fell under Taliban control following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Amiri’s release marks the fifth case this year of Americans being freed through Qatari mediation, alongside a British couple held for eight months. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the development on X, thanking Qatar and reiterating Trump’s stance: the U.S. will continue working until every American unjustly detained abroad is brought home.
However, concerns remain for other detainees. The family of Ahmad Habibi, a former Afghan civil aviation chief allegedly detained by the Taliban, said they were assured by the Trump administration that negotiations would follow an “all or nothing” approach. “The Biden Administration did nothing for us. We have faith in President Trump,” said his brother, Mahmood Habibi. The Taliban denies holding Habibi.
While the release signals progress, Trump’s ambitions to retake Bagram could escalate tensions. Military experts warn that re-occupying the base would likely require more than 10,000 U.S. troops and advanced air defense systems—raising fears of a potential re-invasion of Afghanistan.
The latest developments highlight Qatar’s growing role as a mediator in U.S.-Taliban negotiations and underline the shifting dynamics of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan under Trump’s leadership.
