KABUL — The Taliban administration has taken control of 39 Afghan embassies and consulates around the world, three years after it seized power in Afghanistan following the collapse of the previous Western-backed government. This was announced by the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, at a press conference in Kabul on Thursday.
Despite its international outreach, the Taliban has yet to receive formal recognition from any government, though China and the United Arab Emirates have accepted its ambassadors in their capitals. Western nations, including the United States, have made it clear that recognition will remain off the table unless the Taliban reverses its restrictions on women’s rights, including reopening schools and universities to girls and allowing full freedom of movement for women.
The Taliban, however, maintains that its policies are in line with its interpretation of Islamic law and blames sanctions and international non-recognition for its struggling economy.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Afghan diplomatic missions worldwide were thrown into disarray, with some embassies continuing to issue documents such as visas and passports, which the Taliban has at times refused to acknowledge. The Taliban has appointed diplomats to several key embassies, including ambassadors to Abu Dhabi and Beijing, and a chargé d’affaires in Pakistan.
Muttaqi also announced plans to send new diplomats to several countries, including Uzbekistan, and expressed optimism that Russia would soon remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, the Taliban has severed ties with 14 diplomatic missions, mainly in Europe, stating that it would not honor documents issued by those embassies.