Zalmay Khalilzad is back in the news over US-Taliban talks and Afghan prisoner swaps. He’s a veteran diplomat who led Afghan peace efforts 2018-21.
Dennis Coyle, a US researcher detained in Afghanistan since January 2025, was released on humanitarian grounds for Eid. The Taliban's Supreme Court deemed his detention sufficient after a family appeal, facilitated by the UAE and Qatar, amid ongoing US concerns over wrongful detention practices.