Secret negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban over remaining American detainees have stalled, after the Taliban publicly tied any further releases to the fate of the last Afghan held at Guantánamo Bay, according to a report by The New York Times published on 26 January 2026.
The Times reported that Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid made the demand in an interview in Kandahar, saying the Taliban wanted two U.S. detainees freed “as soon as possible”, but only alongside clarity on their own prisoner. “We want these two American detainees to be released, and, at the same time, the fate of our detainee who is in Guantánamo should be made clear,” Mujahid told The Times. “Our prisoner should be released.”
The Afghan detainee is Muhammad Rahim, held at Guantánamo since 2008 and described by U.S. authorities as having links to Al Qaeda, the report said. The Times also reported that Rahim has never been charged while in U.S. custody.
U.S. officials have identified the two Americans the Taliban say they hold as Dennis Walter Coyle, an academic detained since January 2025, and Polynesis Jackson, a former U.S. Army soldier. The Trump administration has demanded a third U.S. citizen be included, Mahmood Habibi, whose family says he was detained in 2022, shortly after the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul, The Times reported.
In Kabul, Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi denied holding Americans for leverage. “We support finding a solution to this issue as soon as possible,” he told The Times. “We never arrest someone to make deals with their country.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson, quoted by The Times, said, “The Taliban should immediately release Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi and all Americans detained in Afghanistan and end its practice of hostage diplomacy.”
The Times reported that at least five U.S. detainees have been released from Afghanistan in the past year, with the White House saying at least four were freed under President Trump’s second administration, and that none were part of prisoner swaps.
AnewZ contacted Taliban officials for comment on The New York Times report, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a productive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, with talks f...
The diplomatic dispute over France's overseas territories is widening, with pro-independence leaders in the Caribbean and the Pacific rejecting claims...
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "g...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
A New York school district has put plans to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms on hold after fierce criticism from teachers, Indigenous community members and state education officials over the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed 22 trade agreements worth more than $200 million during a business forum in Kabul on Sunday, as officials from both countries pledged to deepen economic cooperation and expand trade and investment.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
President Donald Trump has dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying U.S. arms sales are decided by Washington alone. He also praised Türkiye as "a tremendous ally" and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as "a friend".
Pakistani businesses are warning that growing difficulties in obtaining United Arab Emirates (UAE) visas are disrupting trade, delaying investment and limiting access to a key export market, despite both Islamabad and Abu Dhabi saying there is no official visa ban.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve a dispute over trade restrictions imposed by Moscow, Yerevan's government said on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment