Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
United States
Relationship assessment
Conflict, non-recognition and economic disputes constrain limited U.S. engagement with Taliban-led Afghanistan.
Afghanistan toward United States
-30Taliban-led Afghan authorities have sought U.S. engagement and recognition, while criticizing U.S. sanctions and the freezing of Afghan central-bank assets. Their participation in the Doha negotiations and 2020 agreement showed willingness to negotiate with Washington, but disputes over recognition and U.S. policy remain central.
United States toward Afghanistan
-50The United States fought the Taliban for two decades and supported the Afghan republic before withdrawing its forces in 2021. It negotiated the 2020 Doha agreement with the Taliban, but has not recognized Taliban-led rule and has imposed sanctions and frozen Afghan central-bank assets. U.S. humanitarian assistance and diplomatic contacts provide limited engagement.
Overall relationship
-45The relationship combines a history of armed conflict and U.S. support for Afghanistan's former republic with the negotiated Doha agreement, the U.S. withdrawal, and continuing limited engagement. Non-recognition, sanctions and the frozen central-bank assets are enduring sources of antagonism; humanitarian assistance and diplomatic contact temper, but do not outweigh, those disputes.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have been shaped by decades of conflict and sharply different political priorities. The 2020 Doha agreement and subsequent U.S. military withdrawal created a basis for limited engagement, but the Taliban-led Afghan authorities have not gained U.S. recognition. U.S. sanctions and the freezing of Afghan central-bank assets remain major points of contention, while humanitarian assistance and diplomatic contacts provide limited channels of cooperation.
Areas of tension
- U.S. non-recognition of Taliban-led Afghan authorities
- U.S. sanctions and the freezing of Afghan central-bank assets
- Disputes over Taliban policies and human rights
- Security and counterterrorism concerns
Key developments
The United States and the Taliban signed the Doha agreement, setting terms for the U.S. withdrawal and commitments concerning violence and counterterrorism.
The United States completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan as the Taliban took control of the country.
The United States froze Afghan central-bank assets and maintained sanctions affecting Taliban-led authorities.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and durability of U.S. diplomatic engagement with Taliban-led authorities are unclear.
- The prospects for changes to U.S. sanctions and the status of Afghan central-bank assets remain uncertain.
- The extent of practical cooperation on counterterrorism and humanitarian access is unclear.