Five years after US troop withdrawal, Washington has frozen tens of billions of dollars of the Afghan central bank’s overseas assets under unilateral sanctions, causing an FX shortage and economic deterioration in Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have repeatedly requested the assets’ return; the US has refused. US actions before and after the conflict have triggered strong public anger.

2026-08-16

Five years after US troop withdrawal, Washington has frozen tens of billions of dollars of the Afghan central bank’s overseas assets under unilateral sanctions, causing an FX shortage and economic deterioration in Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have repeatedly requested the assets’ return; the US has refused. US actions before and after the conflict have triggered strong public anger.