The increasingly likely victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan is going to be a strategic nightmare for Iran. In recent years, Tehran initiated contact with the Taliban and even hosted talks between the Afghan government and the group. Despite its ideological antipathy to the Taliban, Iran maintained ties with them as a hedge against the US presence in Afghanistan and […]

While many may say any government effort will be too little, too late, the importance of rebutting Taliban propaganda must still be a priority for the Afghan government and seen as no less important than combat operations. As the war in Afghanistan rages on between the Taliban and Afghan security forces, one frequently-cited feature in Western media coverage has been […]

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that the Afghan security forces’ first job was to make sure they could slow the Taliban’s momentum before attempting to retake territory, as Afghan forces plan to consolidate forces around strategically important parts of the country. Reuters reported that Afghanistan’s military is overhauling its war strategy against the Taliban to concentrate forces […]

Pakistan and China on Saturday called on all Afghan stakeholders to agree to a ceasefire and work together to achieve an inclusive peace agreement and political settlement. According to Dawn News, the call was made by the two sides during a foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue in Chengdu in Sichuan province in China. A statement issued by China and Pakistan said […]

Russia has sent military equipment to border areas between Tajikistan and Afghanistan to prevent possible threats originating from the country. Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon while addressing the Tajik army during a military exercise said that the situation in Afghanistan remains fragile, adding that his country is fully prepared to face the possible threats from Afghanistan. The Tajik president called on […]

The Pentagon on Thursday confirmed that the US carried out airstrikes across Afghanistan in the last several days as part of an effort to support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in their fight against the Taliban. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby in an off-camera press briefing refused to provide details about the airstrikes. “Without speaking to specifics, I […]

Afghan National Security Advisor (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib said Friday that as many as 15,000 militants could enter Afghanistan from Pakistan to fight the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF). Speaking in an interview with Sky News on Friday, Mohib stated that Pakistan has been a safe haven for the Taliban and that the group has been using Pakistani Madrasas, religious […]

The United States has carried out air strikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as U.S.-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the air strikes were in support of Afghan security forces in recent days but did not […]

The State Department is making preparations to fly thousands of Afghans and their families to as-yet undecided countries in order to complete the visa process that will allow them to immigrate to the U.S., State department officials told reporters on Wednesday, as part of Operation Allies Refuge. Tens of thousands of Afghans have applied for the Special Immigrant Visa, awarded […]

President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday the Taliban still has “deep ties to al-Qaeda, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba” and wants Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists. Addressing commandos at the Special Operations Corps base on Wednesday, during his Eid al-Adha visit, Ghani said while the Taliban still had strong ties to the terrorist groups, the Afghan government and people […]