Afghanistan in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
Afghanistan in January 2026 saw the Taliban government widen its diplomatic presence in India. On 10 January a Taliban diplomat took charge in New Delhi and assured Indian staff that they could stay on. On 13 January Afghanistan appointed its first high-level diplomat to India since 2021.
China took a position on 20 and 21 January on a blast in Kabul: its embassy urged an investigation and aided the injured, and China asked the Taliban government to protect Chinese citizens.
Other items in the month: Zalmay Khalilzad asked Islamabad on 8 January to reach a fresh accord with Kabul, and a rift at the top of the Taliban leadership was discussed on 15 January. On 22 January US President Donald Trump's claim that NATO troops avoided the front line in Afghanistan drew angry reactions. On 28 January Iran's representative at the United Nations said Tehran was ready for dialogue and recalled the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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