Taliban Claims It’s Taken Control of 85 Percent of Afghanistan as U.S. Pulls Out

The Taliban has taken control of a crucial border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran as it rushes to fill the vacuum left by the swift withdrawal of U.S. troops. According to The Guardian, the Taliban claimed Friday that it had seized the border town of Islam Qala and now controls around three quarters of the country—though that claim is disputed by the Afghan government. The interior ministry spokesperson, Tariq Arian, said efforts are underway to take back Islam Qala, saying: “All Afghan security forces including the border units are present in the area, and efforts are under way to recapture the site.” One video showed Taliban fighters tearing down the Afghanistan flag from the border crossing. Just hours before the Taliban offensive, President Joe Biden defended the pace of withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying: “In this context, speed is safety.”