Qatar played a vital role in securing Amir Amiry’s release, according to the U.S. State Department.
The Taliban on Sept. 28 released an American citizen who had been wrongfully detained in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. State Department.
Amir Amiry’s release was facilitated through mediation by Qatar, according to the department, which gave no details on when Amiry was detained or what led to his detention in Afghanistan.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the Qatari government, saying that its “strong partnership and tireless diplomatic efforts were vital” in securing Amiry’s release.
“President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home,” Rubio said in a statement. “This release today is a significant step by the administration in Kabul to effect that goal.”
Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi met with U.S. special envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler and his delegation in Afghanistan on Sept. 28, according to a spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The ministry said Amiry’s release demonstrated that the Taliban regime “does not view issues concerning foreign nationals from a political perspective” and emphasized the importance of diplomacy in resolving such issues, according to the spokesperson.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted to X that Amiry was transferred from Afghanistan to Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 28.
The ministry also affirmed its commitment to “advancing mediation efforts aimed at achieving peaceful solutions to conflicts and complex international issues.”
Boehler’s visit to Afghanistan came just a week after U.S. President Donald Trump urged the country’s rulers to return Bagram Airfield to U.S. control, warning that “bad things are going to happen” if the Taliban refuses to do so.
The Taliban regime has said that “Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance” and urged the United States to abide by the pledge that it made under the 2020 Doha Agreement.
