One In Three In Afghanistan Goes To Bed Hungry, Says WFP

The video was released on Saturday by Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy for Afghanistan, who announced Hall’s release earlier that day. In her message, Hall directly addressed Donald Trump, saying, “They are waiting for you to come and set them free.” She conveyed the regards of the women still in Taliban custody and stressed that many remain imprisoned without rights or recourse.

Hall expressed her gratitude to Trump for helping secure her release, stating, “I have never been so proud to be an American citizen.”

According to Khalilzad, Hall is currently receiving medical care at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and will soon return to the United States. She is the fourth American to be freed from Taliban captivity in 2025, following the releases of Ryan Corbett, William McKenty, and George Glezmann. Corbett and McKenty were exchanged for a Taliban prisoner during the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency.

The exact number of American citizens still held by the Taliban remains unknown.

The White House has welcomed the recent releases, while concerns persist over other hostages, including Afghan-American citizen Mahmood Shah Habibi. A US State Department spokesperson recently expressed continued concern for his well-being and for the safety of all remaining American detainees in Taliban custody.

Nader YarAhmadi, Deputy Interior Minister and Head of Iran’s Centre for Foreign Nationals and Migrants Affairs, made the remarks during an interview with Khabar Online.

He stated that many Afghans enter the country with passports and visas—some return within the permitted timeframe, while others overstay and seek visa extensions.

“The number of Afghan migrants remains 6.1 million,” YarAhmadi emphasised, noting that the Afghan population in Iran tends to settle in clusters within urban areas.

He also highlighted the deep cultural and linguistic ties between the two nations, saying, “Afghan brothers have never been considered a minority in Iran, which is why they are present across various cities.”

According to YarAhmadi, Iran deported over one million Afghan migrants last year, but approximately 50 percent of them have since returned to the country.

In recent months, Iran has increased efforts to expel undocumented migrants. However, the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said that the process will be carried out “gradually and with dignity.”

He added that Afghanistan must develop sufficient infrastructure and capacity to reintegrate returning migrants effectively.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul, the two sides discussed holding exhibitions featuring handicrafts, cultural displays, and the exchange of cultural delegations. Both parties emphasised that the shared cultural heritage between Iran and Afghanistan serves as a foundation for strengthening bilateral ties.

The discussions suggest preparations are underway to hold a joint cultural exhibition in Kabul. Sayed Ruhollah Hosseini, Iran’s cultural attaché in Kabul, previously announced that an Iranian cultural and artistic exhibition would soon be held in the Afghan capital, though no specific date has yet been confirmed.

Before the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, such exhibitions were held annually in Kabul, typically featuring dozens of cultural institutions and book publishers from both countries. These events also included poetry readings and artistic performances, fostering cultural exchange between the two neighbouring nations.

In a post on the social media platform X, Khalilzad cited the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that the individual—identified as Faye Dai Hall—is set to be freed. He did not provide additional details, and it remains unclear how long Hall has been in Taliban custody or the reasons for their detention.

It is also unknown whether the Taliban are receiving anything in return for the release.

The most recent known case of a US citizen being released by the Taliban occurred on 20 March 2025, when George Glezmann was freed following a visit by a US diplomatic delegation to Kabul. At the time, the Trump administration did not release any Taliban prisoners in exchange. That visit marked the first official trip by a US delegation to Taliban-controlled Kabul, and Khalilzad, who was part of the team, described Glezmann’s release as a gesture of “goodwill” toward Trump.

In a previous exchange during the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency, the Taliban released two American detainees in return for the release of one of their imprisoned members.

However, the status of Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American citizen still believed to be in Taliban custody, remains unknown.

Vance, serving under President Donald Trump, referenced the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the subsequent seizure of American military equipment by the Taliban. “About $80 billion in military equipment [was handed] to one of the worst terrorist organisations in the world,” he said.

He also recalled the deaths of 13 American service members in a suicide bombing carried out by ISIS at Kabul airport during the Biden administration, calling it a “catastrophic error.”

Vance’s comments came in response to recent remarks by Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who asserted that the U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan now belongs to the Taliban and would not be returned.

The chaotic collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021 allowed the Taliban to take control of billions of dollars’ worth of US military hardware. While some assets were destroyed by departing American forces in Kabul and Bagram, a substantial cache of operational equipment—including military vehicles, advanced weapons, biometric systems, and other technologies—remained intact.

Although the Biden administration has estimated the value of the abandoned military assets at just over $7 billion, Trump and Vance have repeatedly claimed the figure is closer to $80 billion.

At a White House event on 27 March, Trump again criticised President Biden, saying: “Maybe we have to ask for that back, although it is getting a little old.” In earlier remarks, he also condemned the Taliban for parading with US military equipment.

The Taliban have dismissed such criticisms, referring to the equipment as “war spoils” and asserting that it will not be returned.

In February, Trump reportedly tasked a US official named “Doug” with drafting a plan to reclaim the abandoned military assets now under Taliban control.