The Taliban could make rapid military gains across Afghanistan when American and Nato troops pull out, warned US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Under a deal between the Taliban and the previous Trump administration, all remaining US forces are due to leave the country by the end of next month.
But in a letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Blinken has warned of a possible new “spring offensive”.
US soldiers invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to remove the Taliban from power.
The American military operation was in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Biden administration, in January, said it would review the peace agreement made wit the Taliban during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Under this deal, the remaining 10,000 US-led Nato forces in the country are due to pull out by 1 May in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.
The White House has now said that it wants to make sure the Afghan militant group is “living up to its commitments”, including reducing violence and cutting ties with terrorists, before withdrawing.
The Trump administration made withdrawing troops from Afghanistan a priority.
The deal signed in February 2020 said that the US and its Nato allies would withdraw all troops in 14 months if the Taliban upheld its promises, including not allowing al-Qaeda or other militants to operate in areas it controlled, and proceeding with national peace talks.
