• US officials met Taliban authorities to discuss detained Americans in Afghanistan.
• Talks included the case of Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized US citizen.
• Previous negotiations have led to the release of US citizens held in Afghanistan.
• Both sides agreed to continue discussions on prisoners imprisoned in each other's countries.
• The Taliban's administration is not recognized by Washington.

U.S. officials held discussions on September 13 with the Taliban in Kabul regarding American citizens detained in Afghanistan. This meeting involved Adam Boehler, the special envoy for hostage response, and Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, as they spoke to the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Both parties emphasized the importance of continuing talks about citizens imprisoned in each other's countries, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Channel News Asia.

One key figure discussed during these talks is Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized U.S. citizen previously involved in telecommunications in Kabul, who is reported as the highest-profile American detainee. Washington alleges that the Taliban holds Habibi, a claim the Taliban vehemently denies. His situation has been described as a significant obstacle in improving U.S.-Afghan relations, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The recent meeting follows previous negotiations in March 2025, which successfully led to the release of another detained American. Notably, the Taliban expressed hope for a humanitarian gesture in releasing prisoners, such as Muhammad Rahim, an Afghan national held at Guantanamo Bay, indicating ongoing complexities in U.S.-Taliban relations, as per Al Jazeera and Reuters.