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US designation of Afghanistan 'regrettable,' Afghan Taliban says

AL-Monitor
Mar 10, 2026
FILE PHOTO: Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, October 15, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, October 15, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo — Stringer

March 10 (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday called the U.S decision to designate Afghanistan a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" regrettable, and said it wanted to resolve the matter through dialogue after the U.S. demanded the release of U.S. citizens held.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday he was designating the Taliban government a "state sponsor of wrongful detention," and urged Kabul to free all detained U.S. citizens, including Mahmood Habibi and Dennis Coyle.

(Reporting by Yunus Yawar, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Bernadette Baum)