Amir Amiri, who was on his way back to the United States on Sunday, is the fifth US citizen freed by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, who returned to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led forces ended two decades of war.

Negotiations lasted several months after Qatari officials arranged an initial meeting between Amiri and the US special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, sources with knowledge of the matter told Al Jazeera. They said a breakthrough securing his release was reached this weekend.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release, calling it evidence of Washington’s determination to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad.

“While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Rubio said. “President [Donald] Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.” He did not provide details on why or where Amiri had been detained.

The other four US citizens released this year are Ryan Corbett, William McKenty, George Glezmann, and Faye Hall. Qatar, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also mediated the release of a British couple on September 19, after they had been held for months.

Qatar has played a key role for the Trump administration in facilitating hostage negotiations since Taliban forces seized Kabul on August 15, 2021, following the collapse of the US-backed government. While no country formally recognizes the Taliban-led administration, Doha has maintained diplomatic channels to enable dialogue and sensitive mediation.

Qatar’s foreign minister said Amiri was traveling to Doha before continuing on to the US. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on X that the release “serves as a significant step toward encouraging direct dialogue and enhancing communication channels between parties.”

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also welcomed the move, describing it as a positive step and thanking Qatar for its role in facilitating the release. (Aljazeera)