U.S. says it helps Pakistan’s ‘proper to defend itself’ towards Afghan Taliban

The United States stated on Friday (February 27, 2026) it supported ‌Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” towards attacks from ​Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers after Islamabad stated earlier ⁠within the day that the neighbouring nations have been in “open war.”

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers had stated on Friday they ‌have been keen to barter after Pakistan bombed their forces in main 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 stated in an emailed assertion.

U.S. President Donald Trump, when requested whether or not he would intervene to cease the combating between Pakistan and Afghanistan, stated he will get together with Pakistan “very well” and that the nation is doing “terrifically well”.

“I would, but I get along with Pakistan very well, very, very well. You have a great Prime Minister, you have a great General there. You have a great leader, two of the people that I really respect a lot, and I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well,” he stated.

Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its navy capabilities are vastly superior ​to Afghanistan’s. However, ‌the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by a long time of combating with U.S.-led forces, earlier than returning to energy in 2021 when Washington withdrew ‌chaotically.

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

The newest violence ⁠erupted after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory final weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory assaults alongside the border ‌on Thursday, escalating long-simmering tensions over Pakistan’s declare that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants. Afghanistan denies this and argues Pakistan is deflecting blame for its personal safety failures.

The State Department spokesperson stated Washington was conscious of the escalation in ‌tensions and “outbreak of fighting between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban,” ​including the U.S. was “saddened by the loss of life.”

Both sides reported heavy losses ⁠within the combating, which Pakistan’s Defense Minister Minister Khawaja ⁠Muhammad Asif stated amounted to an “open war”.

“The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold ‌their counterterrorism commitments,” the State Department stated, including that “terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad ​for their heinous attacks.”