Mujahid Says We Seek Closer Political And Economic Ties With U.S.

Mujahid made the remarks Wednesday, Sept. 2, at a news conference in Kabul focused on the Taliban's achievements. He said efforts to establish and expand political and economic ties with Washington had been and were continuing.

Mujahid said closer relations with the United States would benefit the Taliban because of Washington's influence in global affairs. He added that the Taliban's foreign ministry was making“serious” efforts to expand relations not only with the United States but also with other countries.

The outreach comes despite years of hostility between the two sides. The Taliban fought U.S. and NATO forces for nearly two decades before the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2021 and the Taliban's return to power.

One of the most sensitive issues between Washington and the Taliban remains the fate of American citizens who have been detained or are missing in Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department continues to warn Americans against traveling to Afghanistan, citing the risk of wrongful detention and hostage-taking.

The case of Mahmood Shah Habibi has drawn particular attention. Habibi, an Afghan-American and former head of Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Authority, disappeared in Kabul on Aug. 10, 2022. The FBI says he was taken by Taliban intelligence officials along with his driver and 29 employees of a telecommunications company. Most of those detained were later released, but Habibi and another individual remain missing.

The FBI continues to seek information that could lead to Habibi's recovery and return and has offered a reward of up to $5 million. The Taliban has denied holding Habibi and Mujahid has said the group does not know his whereabouts.

A Difficult Path to Normalization

The Taliban's call for stronger relations with Washington highlights a significant contradiction: the group is seeking political and economic engagement with the United States while the fate of American hostages and missing citizens remains unresolved. For Washington, resolving such cases is likely to remain central to any broader improvement in relations.

The issue also raises questions about how far diplomatic and economic engagement can advance without greater transparency and concrete action from the Taliban on detained and missing Americans. Any progress toward normalization is likely to depend not only on the Taliban's diplomatic outreach but also on its willingness to address U.S. security concerns and provide credible answers about Americans whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The Taliban has also sought diplomatic recognition and stronger international ties since returning to power. Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in July 2025, but the United States and most other governments have not formally recognized the group.

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