Khalilzad
Michael Hughes: As relations between Iran and Afghanistan grow warmer, the U.S. has put efforts to boost ties with the Taliban into overdrive. The FBI removed Haqqani Network bounties and diplomatic rapprochement is in full swing. Ex-envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is suddenly back on the scene – no doubt in a bid to ensure the radical movement does not get too cozy with the mullahs in Tehran.
I recently thought the Trump and Taliban 2.0 administrations were headed for a divorce. The Taliban said the Doha deal was dead, and Trump warned the radical movement he wanted America’s weapons and equipment returned. At the time it was hard to see why Trump needed to gain leverage on Kabul outside of occasional prisoner swaps. Now it is becoming clearer that perhaps there really is a method to Trump’s madness. Click here to read more.
Related
Amu: Saudi Arabia announced that Sunday, March 30, 2025, will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, following the sighting of the crescent moon, according to a statement from the Haramain on Saturday evening. “The crescent moon has been sighted in Saudi Arabia,” the Haramain said in a post on X. “Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Sunday, 30th March 2025.”
8am: The investigative report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, based on findings from seven provinces across the country, reveals that following the Taliban’s imposition of restrictions on women’s education, academic pursuits, and employment, many women and girls have turned to various addictive substances. Girls and women in these provinces state that the use of tobacco products—particularly cigarettes, Tablet K, Tablet Zeegap, and electronic hookahs—is the only means they know to escape psychological pressures, mental strain, and depression. 
The Guardian (UK): Against a backdrop of Taliban rule and corruption claims against FA president, Zohib Islam Amiri sees demoralisation setting in. 
Khaama: The Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that the Taliban issued a ban on the publication of live animal images to media outlets in Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Nimroz provinces. This directive was communicated to local media outlets on Thursday, March 7. According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, the Taliban’s Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice informed local media in these provinces to refrain from publishing any images of live animals. This order came through voice messages from local officials. 
Amu: Iran’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Alireza Bigdeli, said Afghan migrants living in Iran have played a “vital” role in supporting the country’s economic development, and called for stronger cultural and economic ties between the two neighbors. Speaking during a visit to Herat to follow up on bilateral cooperation projects, Bigdeli described Iran-Afghanistan relations as a “rushing river” that must be safeguarded through consistent efforts to remove existing obstacles.