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17h ago

Taliban Marks Fourth Anniversary With Flower-Drop Flyovers and Warnings to Officials

The aerial displays and male-only events underline the regime’s bid for permanence as it touts Russia’s recognition while confronting ICC arrest warrants and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

FILE - Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)
A man decorates his motorcycle with Taliban and Palestinian flags ahead of celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdraw from Afghanistan and the start of the Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday Aug. 14 , 2025. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
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A man sells Taliban flags at a stand ahead of celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the start of Taliban rule, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

Overview

  • Defence Ministry helicopters scattered flowers over Kabul in a muted celebration of the Taliban’s fourth year in power, replacing last year’s military parade with symbolic aerial displays.
  • Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada warned that Afghans deemed “ungrateful” for Islamic rule risk divine punishment and ordered ministers to drop “acting” from their titles to signal a permanent administration.
  • Women were barred from several flower-drop sites and all official gatherings, reflecting ongoing bans on female education, employment and public presence under hardline Sharia enforcement.
  • The Taliban highlighted July’s Russian recognition and ties with China, Qatar and Central Asian states to bolster legitimacy even as the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for senior leaders over crimes against humanity.
  • Afghanistan continues to grapple with acute food insecurity and economic strain after years of frozen assets, aid cuts and mass refugee expulsions.