The United Nations Security Council, by extending Taliban sanctions for another year, has emphasized the group’s adherence to international obligations. At the Council session, representatives from the United States, Russia, China, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom expressed their views on the necessity of Taliban efforts to combat terrorism, respect women’s rights, and engage with the international community. The United States called for an end to hostage-taking and the release of detained Americans. Russia stressed maintaining communication with the Taliban and confronting ISIS. China urged action against terrorist groups and the lifting of sanctions on the Taliban. Pakistan highlighted the choice between engaging with the international community or facing isolation, while the United Kingdom demanded tangible measures from the Taliban to protect women’s rights and counter terrorism. The acting permanent representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations described the adoption of this resolution as a sign of the international community’s attention to Afghanistan’s situation and emphasized the importance of human rights, counterterrorism, and the establishment of an inclusive government.
On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the UN Security Council approved the United States’ draft to extend the one-year sanctions mission against the Taliban and other entities threatening Afghanistan’s peace and security. All 15 Council members unanimously endorsed the continuation of Resolution 1988 sanctions on the Taliban, and exemptions for some group leaders were not renewed. Reports indicate that the ongoing activity of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, discrimination against women, and the absence of an inclusive government prompted the Council not to relax sanctions against the Taliban.
In addition to other responsibilities, the Security Council tasked the monitoring team with collecting information on instances of noncompliance with sanctions, informing the committee, and providing recommendations on actions needed to address these issues. Individuals involved in terrorist activities in Afghanistan primarily fall under the mandates of Committee 1267 (1999) and Committee 1988 (2011). The former monitors sanctions against Al-Qaeda and ISIS, while the latter oversees sanctions against the Taliban.
More than 170 individuals and five organizations, including the Haqqani Network, two money exchange offices, and two Taliban-affiliated companies, are listed under the 1988 Committee sanctions. Most of these individuals are Taliban leaders and active members, as well as members of the Haqqani Network.
At the UN Security Council meeting, Thomas Burris, representing the United States, voted in favor of the continued work of the sanctions monitoring committee against the Taliban, stating that the group uses detainees as leverage in negotiations with Washington and other countries. He emphasized that the Taliban must end all forms of hostage-taking and arbitrary detentions.
The US official added: “The Taliban have openly demanded the release of an Al-Qaeda member detained at Guantanamo in exchange for Americans currently in their custody.” He stressed that the UN sanctions team must hold the Taliban accountable for such tactics.
Meanwhile, Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, said that communications between the sanctions monitoring team and the Taliban must be maintained. She emphasized that stability in Afghanistan will affect the region and beyond. While voting in favor of the resolution, Evstigneeva criticized certain aspects, noting that some countries aim to shift counterterrorism matters toward human rights, which could be “detrimental.”
The Russian deputy representative stated that Moscow consistently supports comprehensive cooperation between the international community and the Taliban on all key issues, and that there is no alternative to this approach. She added: “We are pleased that the resolution maintains provisions related to ISIS and other terrorist groups and their affiliates and emphasizes the need to strengthen efforts to confront this threat.”
Fu Cong, China’s representative to the United Nations, called on the Taliban to fulfill their obligations and ensure that Afghan territory is not used against others. He stressed that the Taliban must combat groups such as ISIS, TTP, Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations and expel them from Afghanistan. Fu also called for the lifting of sanctions on the Taliban, stating that these sanctions should be removed.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s representative to the UN Security Council, stated that the Taliban must choose between engaging with the international community or facing isolation. He emphasized that adherence to counterterrorism commitments and respect for women’s rights are decisive factors in this choice. Ahmad added that Afghan territory should not be used for terrorist activities against neighboring countries, and no Afghan citizen should support terrorist activities within their country.
The United Kingdom’s representative at the meeting also stated that the Taliban must take meaningful steps to honor their international commitments and protect the rights of Afghan women and girls. He further emphasized that the Taliban must take practical measures to combat terrorism.
Meanwhile, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, acting permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN, stated that the Security Council’s adoption of the resolution to extend the sanctions monitoring team’s mission reflects the international community’s attention to Afghanistan’s situation. According to him, the resolution emphasizes fulfilling counterterrorism commitments, restoring women’s rights, and ensuring inclusive governance in the country. It explicitly states that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack any country and urges the Taliban to take active measures against terrorist groups. Faiq added that full participation of women and respect for their rights, alongside inclusive governance, is the only path to sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
At the same time, some citizens welcomed this decision but emphasized that most Security Council members are currently engaging with the Taliban and that members of the group travel freely to any country. They argued that these sanctions do not exert real or tangible pressure on the Taliban and called for increased pressure and a people-centered approach in Afghanistan.
Obaid, a citizen, said: “People are happy about these symbolic sanctions, but they do not place real pressure on the Taliban. If there were genuine pressure, the Taliban would not have lasted nearly five years. UN Security Council members and other countries must apply real and tangible pressure and support the people of Afghanistan. These sanctions are adopted, yet we see Taliban officials traveling daily from Europe to Asia. What kind of pressure is this?”
Additionally, some protesting women and girls supported the sanctions against the Taliban and called for stronger and more practical pressure on the group. According to them, the Taliban will not change their policies of suppressing women under the current approach of the international community and will continue supporting terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
One protesting woman, who requested to remain anonymous, said: “While the adoption of sanctions is welcome news, over the past four years, it has been clear that these sanctions have had no effect on the Taliban because they travel wherever they wish, and countries continue to normalize the Taliban. Despite sanctions and issued statements, the situation for women continues to worsen every day.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
تمدید تحریمهای طالبان توسط سازمان ملل؛ آیا فشارها واقعی است؟
