Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Taliban Seem To Have "Strategic Momentum" In Afghanistan: Top US Official

Taliban Seem To Have "Strategic Momentum" In Afghanistan: Top US Official

Taliban now control about half of Afghanistan's roughly 400 districts but they have none of the country's densely populated main cities, said US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley.

The Taliban appear to have the "strategic momentum" in their sweeping offensives across Afghanistan, but their victory is far from assured, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley said Wednesday.

Nearly 20 years after the US toppled the Taliban regime in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and with the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces all but complete, the resurgent militants now control about half of Afghanistan's roughly 400 districts.

But they have none of the country's densely populated main cities, Milley told a press conference.

With the militants putting pressure on around half of the country's provincial capitals, Afghan troops are "consolidating their forces" to protect those major urban centers, he added.

"They're taking an approach to protect the population, and most of the population lives in the provincial capitals and capital city of Kabul," Milley said.

"A Taliban automatic military takeover is not a foregone conclusion."

The Taliban are surging across Afghanistan, snapping up territory, seizing border crossings and encircling cities.

Their success has tested the morale of the Afghan army, already battered by years of shockingly high casualties and, more recently, the decision by US-led international troops to leave.

Though the Afghan army has been trained by international forces, and estimates show it vastly outnumbers the Taliban's ranks, Milley said numbers are not all it takes to win a war.

"The two most important combat multipliers actually are will and leadership. And this is going to be a test now of the will and leadership of the Afghan people, the Afghan security forces and the government of Afghanistan," he said.

US President Joe Biden has also said that a Taliban takeover is "not inevitable."

But earlier this month he also warned that Afghans must come together against the insurgents, and admitted that it was "highly unlikely" that one unified government would end up controlling the entire country.

End game "not yet written"


Milley's comments came hours after the Taliban said Wednesday they would fight only to defend themselves over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, but stopped short of declaring a formal ceasefire.

In recent years, the militants have declared a pause in fighting with government forces over Islamic holidays, offering a brief respite to Afghans who can visit family in relative safety.

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said over the weekend that he "strenuously favors" a political settlement to end the war with the government in Kabul.

But the hardline Islamist movement's push to capitalize on the last stages of the international withdrawal has left many Afghans sceptical.

President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday that the Taliban had proved "they have no will and intention for peace," with negotiations between the two warring sides achieving little.

More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Kabul this week called for "an urgent end" to the Taliban's current offensive, saying it was at odds with claims they want to secure a political deal to end the conflict.

Afghan civilians, who have long taken the brunt of the fighting since 2001, are also watching the Taliban advance in fear.

Many -- especially women and minorities -- stand to lose hard-won rights and freedoms if the militants return to any form of power.

Even if Kabul can hold them off, among the scenarios that civilians face is the prospect of a protracted and bloody civil war and the possibility of the country fracturing along ethnic lines.

It was the chaos of the civil war in the 1990s that helped usher the Taliban to power.

Milley said the chance of a negotiated political settlement is "still out there."

"There's a possibility of a complete Taliban takeover or possibility of any number of other scenarios -- breakdowns, warlordism, all kinds of other scenarios out there," he said.

"We're monitoring very closely. I don't think the end game is yet written."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×