Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the release of Amir Amiry on Sunday, who was “wrongfully detained” in Afghanistan.
Amiry’s release comes after other hostages have been freed from Afghanistan, including two in exchange for an Afghan drug dealer in January and two more in March. Rubio thanked Qatar for its “tireless diplomatic efforts” for playing a pivotal role in Amiry’s release.
Rubio also described the latest hostage release as a reflection of the Trump administration’s effort to protect citizens from “wrongful detention.”
“While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home. This release today is a significant step by the administration in Kabul to effect that goal,” Rubio said in a statement.
WITKOFF’S SON SOUGHT INVESTMENTS FROM MIDDLE EAST AS FATHER NEGOTIATED PEACE IN REGION
Rubio worked with President Donald Trump to smooth relations with Qatar after the Israeli military struck the Middle Eastern country.
Trump has introduced a 21-point peace plan for Gaza, with one of the points requiring Israel to pledge that it will not strike Qatar again. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly answer whether he would agree to this point on Sunday, saying he would discuss this with Trump when he visits the White House on Monday.
