An American man detained by the Taliban since December 2024 has been released following months of negotiations brokered by the US and Qatar, the State Department confirmed on Sunday.
The freed citizen, identified as 36-year-old Amir Amiry, is now en route back to the United States, according to officials and a diplomatic source familiar with the talks. Washington does not maintain a diplomatic presence in Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2022, leaving Qatar to play a central role in mediating.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Doha for its “tireless diplomatic efforts,” calling the release “a significant step” and stressing that President Trump “will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.”
The Taliban confirmed the development, with deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat saying Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi met US envoy Adam Boehler on Sunday. According to Fitrat, Muttaqi described the release as proof that Afghanistan does not treat foreign detainees as “political bargaining chips” and reiterated a commitment to diplomacy.
Qatari Minister of State Mohammed Al-Khulaifi said his country “remains committed to advancing mediation efforts” to resolve complex international disputes.
The details of Amiry’s detention remain unclear. He is the latest American to be freed through Washington’s security and diplomatic partnership with Qatar.
At least three other US citizens remain in Taliban custody, alongside Paul Overby, who is believed to be deceased. Families of those still detained expressed mixed emotions. Ahmad Habibi, whose brother Mahmood has been held since August 2022, said his family was “grateful another American has been freed,” but insisted, “we will not accept a deal that leaves our loved one behind.”
US officials have promised families that negotiations with the Taliban will seek an “all or nothing” outcome.
