The United States ambassador to Afghanistan is the official diplomatic representative of the United States to Afghanistan. In the wake of the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the U.S. embassy in Kabul transferred operations to Doha, Qatar. Since December 31, 2021, the U.S. interests section at the Embassy of Qatar in Kabul has served as the protecting power for the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The United States recognized Afghanistan, then under the rule of King Amānullāh, on July 26, 1921. Diplomatic relations were established in 1935. The first ambassador appointed to Afghanistan was William H. Hornibrook, who was concurrently commissioned to Persia, as Iran was known then, and resided in Tehran. Until 1942, the U.S. ambassador to Persia/Iran was also the ambassador to Afghanistan. The U.S. legation at Kabul was established on June 6, 1942, with Charles W. Thayer as chargé d’affaires ad interim. Cornelius Van Hemert Engert presented his credentials to the government of Afghanistan on July 2, 1942, as the first envoy solely accredited to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Adolph Dubs was assassinated in a botched kidnapping attempt in 1979. For the next ten years, no ambassador was appointed; only a series of chargés d’affaires represented the U.S. in Kabul. The embassy at Kabul was closed on January 30, 1989, due to concerns that the new regime would not be able to maintain security and protect diplomats following the final departure of Soviet forces from the country.

Following the overthrow of the Taliban government, the U.S. liaison office in Kabul opened on December 17, 2001, with Ambassador James Dobbins serving as director. The United States recognized the Afghan Interim Administration on December 22, 2001, when it assumed the authority to represent Afghanistan in its external relations. The embassy reopened on January 17, 2002, with Ryan Crocker as chargé d’affaires a.i.

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission +#NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotes1William H. Hornibrook – Political appointeeAlso accredited to Iran.Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 22, 1935May 4, 1935Left Tehran March 16, 1936 The names of the chargés heading the Afghanistan mission between Hornibrook’s departure in 1936 and the arrival of Dreyfus in 1941 have not been recorded.2Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. – Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 16, 1940May 19, 1941Superseded by establishment of legation in Kabul, July 25, 1942 Legation Kabul was opened June 6, 1942 with Charles W. Thayer as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.3Cornelius Van Hemert Engert – Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 2, 1942July 2, 1942Left post August 17, 19454Ely Palmer – Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 9, 1945December 6, 1945Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary During Palmer’s tenure as envoy, the Legation was elevated to Embassy status on June 5, 1948, when Palmer presented his credentials to the Afghan government.4Ely Palmer – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 6, 1948June 5, 1948Left post November 18, 19485Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 21, 1949August 16, 1949Left post January 19, 19516George Robert Merrell – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 19, 1951June 28, 1951Left post May 3, 19527Angus I. Ward – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 27, 1952November 8, 1952Left post March 3, 19568Sheldon T. Mills – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 28, 1956May 6, 1956Left post February 3, 19599Henry A. Byroade – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 29, 1959March 21, 1959Left post January 19, 196210John M. Steeves – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 7, 1962March 20, 1962Left post July 21, 196611Robert G. Neumann – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 3, 1966February 19, 1967Left post September 10, 197312Theodore L. Eliot, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 20, 1973November 21, 1973Left post June 14, 197813Adolph Dubs – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 27, 1978July 12, 1978Assassinated at post February 14, 1979 -J. Bruce Amstutz – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.February 14, 1979February 1980 -Hawthorne Q. Mills – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.February 1980January 1982 -Charles Franklin Dunbar – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.January 1982June 1983 -Edward Hurwitz – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.June 1983March 1986 -James Maurice EalumChargé d’Affaires a.i.March 1986September 1987 -Jon D. GlassmanChargé d’Affaires a.i.September 1987January 30, 1989Peter Tomsen served as Special Envoy to Afghanistan (to the Northern Alliance) 1989–1992. The U.S. embassy in Kabul closed in January 1989. The embassy reopened on January 17, 2002. -James F. Dobbins – Career FSOAmbassador (in charge of reestablishing U.S. Embassy)December 17, 2001January 2, 2002 -Ryan Crocker – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.January 2, 2002UnknownApril 3, 200214Robert Finn – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 21, 2002April 3, 2002Left post August 1, 200415Zalmay Khalilzad – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 17, 2004September 28, 2004Left post June 20, 200516Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 27, 2005August 1, 2005Left post April 10, 200717William Braucher Wood – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 28, 2007April 16, 2007April 9, 200918Karl Eikenberry – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 3, 2009May 21, 2009July 25, 201119Ryan Crocker – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 7, 2011Sworn in as ambassador July 7, 2011. As of July 17, not yet acceded to post.July 25, 2011July 13, 201220James B. Cunningham - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 2012, Sworn in as ambassador August 12, 2012.August 13, 2012December 7, 201421P. Michael McKinley - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 2014January 6, 2015December 18, 2016 -Hugo LlorensCareer Ambassador and Special Chargé d’AffairesDecember 19, 2016November 17, 201722John R. BassAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 28, 2017December 12, 2017January 6, 2020 -Ross L. WilsonChargé d’AffairesJanuary 18, 2020August 31, 2021The U.S. Embassy in Kabul transferred operations to Doha, Qatar, on August 31, 2021, following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. Since December 31, the U.S. Interests Section at the Embassy of Qatar in Kabul has served as the protecting power for the U.S. in Afghanistan. -Ian McCaryChargé d’AffairesAugust 31, 2021July 31, 2022 -Karen B. DeckerChargé d’AffairesAugust 1, 2022Our ambassador US EmbassyJuly 28, 2025 -Don BrownChargé d’AffairesJuly 28, 2025Present

Notes

See also Embassy of the United States, Kabul Afghanistan–United States relations Ambassadors of the United States Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, D.C. Ambassadors of Afghanistan to the United States

References

United States Department of State: Background notes on Afghanistan

External links