Trump Hostage Envoy: No Deal or Payment for American's Release by Taliban

KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- Adam Boehler, Donald Trump's special representative for hostage affairs, stated on X that the Taliban released U.S. citizen Dennis Keil on Tuesday without any deal or financial payment from the United States.

"No deal was made, no money was paid. Hostage diplomacy is dead," Boehler wrote, adding that Keil is on his way back to the U.S. and that freeing all Americans "unjustly" detained abroad remains a priority for the Trump administration. He described the release as "an important step" but urged the Taliban to free others soon, including Mahmoud Habibi and Paul Overby.

The Taliban Foreign Ministry said Keil's release followed a letter from his family to the group's leader and was granted on the basis of mercy and pardon. Amu TV reported the release occurred on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.

The move came after the U.S. State Department placed Afghanistan on a list of countries supporting unfair or illegal detentions of Americans. U.S. officials had warned the Taliban to end what they called hostage-taking.

Afghanistan International reported that the Taliban previously demanded the release of Mohammad Rahim, a Guantanamo detainee held since 2008 and accused of cooperating with al-Qaida, in exchange for detained Americans. The same outlet said the Taliban denies holding Habibi and has called for reopening the U.S. embassy in Kabul and improving relations.

U.S. officials have shown no willingness to release Rahim.