Taliban Dismisses Diplomats; Britain Announces Closure of Afghanistan Embassy

Following the Taliban's order to dismiss diplomats from the Afghanistan embassy in London, Britain announced that the embassy will be closed. The UK Foreign Office stated on Monday, September 10, that due to the Taliban government dismissing the embassy staff in London, the embassy will be shut down. Meanwhile, the Afghan ambassador in London, who was appointed before the Taliban, attributed the closure to a 'formal request from the host country.' Zalmay Rasool wrote on social media platform X on Monday: 'This decision has been made based on the necessity seen by the host country's officials,' and the embassy will officially close on September 27 (October 6). Mr. Rasool and the UK Foreign Office did not mention the status and future of the embassy staff after October 6; however, a knowledgeable source at the embassy told Radio Free Europe that the UK government has given these staff 90 days to either leave the country or apply for asylum. According to this source, the UK Foreign Office stated that it will not hand over the embassy building to the Taliban and that London will not allow any Afghan diplomatic representation to operate until a government is established in Afghanistan that it recognizes. The dismissal of Afghan diplomats occurred after they rejected the Taliban government's request for engagement and reporting to its Foreign Ministry. In another news, the Afghanistan embassy in Norway also announced that it will halt its activities from September 13 for similar reasons. This embassy stated on Monday evening, September 10, that the Taliban government's decision to invalidate the services of Afghan embassies and consulates in Europe, Canada, and Australia is considered a legal and enforceable issue. The Taliban government has stated that it only recognizes consular services in a few Afghan representations in Europe, including the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany.