Will the United States Redesignate the Taliban as a Terrorist Organization?

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Wednesday that the United States is reviewing the possible designation of the Taliban as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization”. Speaking before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio stated, “I believe that designation is currently under review once again.”

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This came in response to a question posed by Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who asked whether the U.S. intended to relist the Taliban as a terrorist group, according to Reuters.

The debate resurfaces as the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 remain deeply controversial. That withdrawal paved the way for the Taliban’s return to power, nearly 20 years after the group was overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

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On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to conduct a review of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal operation — a move long demanded by Republican officials who have sharply criticized how it was handled.

CNN, citing a senior U.S. official, reported that the Taliban had recently submitted a formal request to open a representative office in the United States.

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in January 2025, U.S.–Taliban relations have shown signs of strategic recalibration, reflecting a shift in American foreign policy toward Afghanistan.

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In late March, the U.S. State Department announced that the Taliban had released an American citizen who had been kidnapped over two years earlier during a tourist visit to Afghanistan. The release was part of a deal brokered by negotiators from the United States and Qatar.

The Taliban regained control of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021, following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government and just days before the final withdrawal of American troops from the country.

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