Will the USA remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations?

The US authorities are reviewing the status of the Taliban movement as a terrorist organization.

On May 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a Congressional meeting that the status of the ruling Taliban movement in Afghanistan, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States, is currently under review. According to him, this is related to the release of Americans from Afghanistan.

In response to a question about whether the Taliban will be included in the list of “foreign terrorist organizations” (FTO or organizations that pose a threat to US security), he stated that US authorities understand who the Taliban are and what they have done in the past, and would like more cooperation in the fight against Al-Qaeda and other potentially dangerous organizations in Afghanistan.

Currently, the Taliban movement in the US has the status of “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT). Inclusion in the FTO list implies broader sanctions.

Since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, despite a strict domestic policy, including a ban on education for women and persecution of the opposition, several countries in Central Asia and around the world are gradually changing their attitude towards the movement. For example, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have already removed the Taliban from their lists of banned organizations, and the Supreme Court of Russia temporarily allowed the movement’s activities on its territory in April 2025.

Among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, Tajikistan is the only country that, despite having an active Tajik embassy in Afghanistan and a Taliban-controlled consulate in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, publicly opposes the Taliban from high platforms in the country, takes an open anti-Taliban position at international organization meetings, and states that it does not recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

However, trade and economic relations between Tajikistan and Afghanistan are steadily developing, with the authorities of both countries openly and secretly engaging in large business dealings.

The recent visit of a Taliban delegation to Dushanbe for negotiations on the regional energy project CASA-1000 and their meeting with Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy Daler Jum’a has generated significant interest.