U.S. says it supports Pakistan's 'right to defend itself' against Afghan Taliban

The U.S. backs Pakistan's right to self-defense against Taliban attacks amid escalating tensions and violence.

The United States said on Friday (February 27, 2026) it supported ‌Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against attacks from ​Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier ⁠in the day that the neighbouring countries were in “open war.”

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers had said on Friday they ‌were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities.

“The United States ‌supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against ‌attacks ⁠from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global ⁠Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its military capabilities are vastly superior ​to Afghanistan’s. However, ‌the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by decades of fighting with U.S.-led forces, before returning to power in 2021 when Washington withdrew ‌chaotically.

Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of ​Washington. The U.S. considers the Afghan Taliban to be a “terrorist” group.

The latest violence ⁠erupted after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory last weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory attacks along the border ‌on Thursday, escalating long-simmering tensions over Pakistan’s claim that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants. Afghanistan denies this and argues Pakistan is deflecting blame for its own security failures.