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The Taliban has ruled Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since taking control by force in 2021, overthrowing the internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The takeover was widely criticized by the international community. As of July 2025, only one member state of the United Nations, Russia, [1] has extended diplomatic recognition to the new regime, even though many states maintain nominal relations with Afghanistan.
The Taliban previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and received limited diplomatic recognition, with the United Nations and most countries continuing to recognize the Islamic State of Afghanistan. The Taliban has campaigned for international recognition since the takeover, gradually taking over the Islamic Republic's foreign diplomatic missions. Ousted president Ashraf Ghani has largely remained silent since the takeover, and has not formed a government-in-exile. Ghani's vice president Amrullah Saleh declared himself caretaker president and relocated to Panjshir Province after the Taliban takeover with the support of the National Resistance Front (NRF). However, he fled Afghanistan after the Taliban quickly captured the province. Although the NRF continues to wage a guerrilla insurgency, it has failed to take any territory and neither Saleh nor the NRF have received any international support, leaving the Taliban as the only viable claimant to Afghanistan's government. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Several countries have vowed never to recognize the Islamic Emirate, and others have said they will do so only if human rights in the country are respected (in particular, those of women). Some countries have accredited Taliban diplomats despite not recognizing the Islamic Emirate, and some have appointed new ambassadors to Afghanistan which have been accepted by the Taliban. Other countries, including Canada and Tajikistan, have designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization. [6] [7] [8] Kazakhstan removed the prohibition in 2023 after a controversial business forum featuring Afghan Minister Nooruddin Azizi. [9]
Between 1996 and 2001, only three UN member states—Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—recognized the Islamic Emirate as the rightful government of Afghanistan. [10] The Islamic Emirate received recognition from the partially recognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, [11] though Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov would later describe the Islamic Emirate as an "illegitimate" government. [12]
The Taliban government was not recognized by the United Nations, which instead continued to recognize the Islamic State of Afghanistan as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Despite limited recognition of the Islamic Emirate as the legitimate successor of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, there have been official diplomatic talks between the Taliban and other countries since September 2021.
![]() | This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Half or more of these countries are sourced from 2021, it's unclear whether these still apply. If they do, newer sources should be used to confirm this..(July 2025) |
On 10 November 2022, the United Nations passed resolution A/RES/77/10 titled "The situation in Afghanistan." 116 countries voted yes, 10 countries voted to abstain, and 67 did not vote. No countries voted against the resolution. [75]
On 7 July 2025, the United Nations passed resolution A/79/L.100 with the same title as the 2022 resolution; the resolution requests the Secretary-General appoint a coordinator for Afghani international relations. [76]
The NRF has executed hit-and-run attacks against the Taliban in some parts of Afghanistan but has not been able to hold territory.