Taliban's Appeal for US Investment in Mining Sector

The Taliban is appealing to the United States for investment in Afghanistan’s mining and agricultural sectors. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has extended invitations to US companies to explore these opportunities.

As reported by Al Arabiya on Tuesday (1/9/2026), these efforts involve potential mineral deals valued at up to US$ 1 trillion. This was reported by the prominent Financial Times in its recent interview with Muttaqi on Monday (31/8) local time.

In the interview, Muttaqi proposed that the relationship between the US and Afghanistan should not be judged based on the perspective of the wars of the last 20 years, but rather on the basis of future cooperation. Muttaqi added that Afghanistan would “certainly” welcome US investment.

An assessment conducted by the Pentagon or the US Department of Defense, based on US Geological Survey (USGS) data in 2009, estimated that there are untapped mineral resources worth at least US$ 1 trillion in the Afghan region.

Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has entered into mining contracts worth more than US$ 7 billion. Most of these contracts involve companies connected to China, Iran, and other nations willing to establish relations with the Taliban government.

Afghanistan possesses resources including copper, iron ore, lithium, rare earth metals, cobalt, chromite, gold, niobium, and gemstones. Lithium, copper, cobalt, and rare earth metals are known to be included in the 2025 US Critical Minerals List, which is closely linked to electric vehicle batteries, defence technology, and efforts to reduce dependency on China.

However, during its five years under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has remained one of the poorest countries in the world. One-third of the Afghan population faces acute hunger, and women’s rights are severely restricted.

United Nations (UN) experts have warned that there should be no steps towards normalising the de-factress Taliban authority, including accepting diplomats or holding meetings in the capital, without tangible and measurable progress regarding human rights benchmarks, particularly for women and girls.

So far, the US has not taken any steps towards closer relations with the Taliban. In his interview with the Financial Times, Muttaqi stated that he has urged the White House to reopen the US Embassy in Kabul, which was abandoned in 2021.

Muttaqi emphasised that the Taliban has “guaranteed security… improved roads, and planted new trees.” “The area looks very lively and attractive,” he remarked.