US Removes $10M Bounty on Taliban’s Haqqani After American’s Return

The United States has officially removed the $10 million reward for the capture of Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, as reported by an Afghan interior ministry spokesman on March 23, 2025. This comes after the recent release of American citizen George Glezmann, who was being held hostage in Afghanistan for two years.

Glezmann was released as part of negotiations, which could indicate a change in U.S.-Taliban relations.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current first deputy leader and acting interior minister of Afghanistan, has been associated with numerous attacks on American and coalition forces. He is the leader of the Haqqani Network, which the U.S. has designated as a terror group. 

Removing the bounty marks a historic change in the diplomacy between the two nations as, for the first time ever, there are no Afghan Taliban living leaders with any U.S. bounty.

The advances have also brought to the center stage the issue of implications for future interaction between the U.S. and the Taliban regime, particularly in regards to such sensitive issues as security and human needs in Afghanistan. 

The emerging dynamics indicate that interaction is pragmatically moving ahead, with an opening for increased dialogue and agreement.