A Taliban envoy issued a caution to the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on Monday, following Rubio’s comments about potentially placing bounties on the leaders of Afghanistan due to their ongoing detention of American citizens. Rubio’s remarks came after a recent prisoner exchange, where two Americans were freed in return for a notable Taliban member, Khan Muhammad.

This exchange, which involved Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, was orchestrated by the previous administration under Joe Biden before he departed office. Despite this swap, there are still two American nationals—George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi—remaining in Taliban custody, and the group has not disclosed the total number of foreign prisoners they hold.

Rubio expressed concerns about the possibility of the Taliban holding a larger number of American hostages than previously reported. In a post on social media platform X, he stated, “If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on (Osama) bin Laden.”

Responding to Rubio’s threats, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s ambassador to Qatar, emphasized that the Afghan government preferred resolving conflicts through diplomatic dialogue and cautioned against aggression. He quoted the past experiences of the Afghan nation, suggesting that their enduring struggle should serve as a lesson for all.

The Taliban’s resurgence saw them regain control in August 2021 after two decades of conflict with U.S. and NATO forces, which culminated in a tumultuous withdrawal of military personnel. Shaheen was part of the Taliban’s team that engaged in negotiations in Doha to secure a peace agreement concerning Afghanistan.

Moreover, Shaheen pointed out that the recent release of another foreign detainee, Canadian David Lavery, was facilitated through the mediation efforts of “the friendly country of Qatar” and constructive interactions with the Taliban administration regarding such matters.

On the same day, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly confirmed she had connected with Lavery upon his arrival in Qatar, stating he was in good condition and expressing gratitude to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for his role in Lavery’s release.