The Afghan regime, led by the Taliban and referred to as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has firmly stated that any agreements between the U.S. and Uzbekistan regarding Afghan military aircraft currently in Uzbekistan will not be accepted.
The Ministry of National Defense issued a strong response to recent remarks by the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan concerning these aircraft and helicopters.
In an official statement, the Afghan Defense Ministry declared that Kabul finds any negotiations or decisions about the future of these military assets entirely unacceptable. The Ministry asserted that the United States has no legal authority to seize, transfer, or determine the fate of Afghanistan’s military equipment.
The statement also urged the Uzbek government to avoid engaging in any transactions or agreements involving these Afghan air assets. The Defense Ministry called on Uzbekistan to respect the principles of good neighborly relations and to cooperate in returning Afghanistan’s Air Force aircraft and helicopters.
The presence of these aircraft in Uzbekistan has been a source of ongoing tension since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, with Afghan authorities repeatedly demanding their return. The recent comments from the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent have reignited the issue, prompting this renewed response from the Afghan Defense Ministry.
