Islamabad – Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s scheduled trip to India later this month has been cancelled after the United Nations Security Council refused to exempt him from the travel ban, according to sources to the news outlet Amu.
The cancellation underscores the ongoing international sanctions that impede the Taliban’s efforts to interact with foreign governments and represents a major diplomatic setback for the group.
The August 27–29, 2025, visit was expected to be a significant milestone in the Taliban’s attempts to formally forge diplomatic relations with regional countries. However, after the UN Security Council rejected the exemption request, New Delhi retracted its invitation.
Despite the denial, Indian officials are still exploring possible diplomatic avenues to reschedule a meeting with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, motivated by both strategic considerations and recognition of the Taliban’s growing regional connections.
Because of the denial, the Taliban’s diplomatic agenda is in jeopardy as the group is still mainly isolated on the international scene.
Imposed Travel Ban
Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Taliban’s leadership, including Foreign Minister Muttaqi, has been subject to a UN travel ban and asset freeze because of sanctions about human rights violations and terrorism.
The UN has taken a firm stand by refusing Muttaqi’s request to visit both India and Pakistan this month, even though it occasionally makes exceptions for certain diplomatic reasons.
The UN has blocked Muttaqi’s travel plans twice in August. After the Security Council rejected a similar exemption request, he also cancelled his planned trip to Pakistan.
The Taliban are struggling to keep a balance in their foreign relations, as evidenced by the consecutive cancellations. Even though India and Pakistan have had informal interactions with the group on a variety of topics, from trade and counterterrorism to humanitarian assistance, they are still subject to international legal and diplomatic frameworks.
Mohibullah Wasiq’s Taliban delegation’s earlier visit to India served as evidence of this. Indian officials cautiously navigated the difficulties of dealing with an unrecognized government while abiding by international standards during that visit, extending no formal diplomatic protocol.
Four Years of Taliban Diplomacy
It has now been four years since the Taliban retook Afghanistan. In that period, the Islamic Emirate has engaged in 2,814 recorded diplomatic interactions across 101 countries.
- Top engaged countries: China (353), Iran (328), Turkey (272), Qatar (214), Uzbekistan (205), Pakistan (175), Russia (131), Turkmenistan (119), Malaysia (94), and Japan (90).
- Top locations of engagement: Kabul (1,321), Doha (361), Tehran (137), Islamabad (110), Beijing (80), Tashkent (76), Kuala Lumpur (71), Ashgabat (66), Karachi (39), and Istanbul (39).
The data reflects not just frequency, but a pattern: the Taliban’s diplomacy has consolidated around regional capitals while cautiously testing global openings. The data shows a steady expansion of Taliban diplomatic outreach since 2021, with regional capitals such as Doha, Tehran, Islamabad, and Beijing becoming frequent venues. Their engagements reveal an attempt to transform battlefield legitimacy into political recognition, a slow, uneven march from isolation toward conditional acceptance.
Russia’s recent recognition of the Taliban marks the first significant crack in the wall of non-recognition, signaling that sustained engagement may eventually compel others to follow. Yet, four years on, the central question remains unanswered: will this momentum shift the Taliban from prolific diplomatic couriers to an internationally recognized government, or will their outreach remain a circuit of meetings without the anchor of legitimacy?
