Pentagon officials are monitoring the Taliban’s sweeping advances in Afghanistan “with deep concern” and are encouraging its partners in Kabul to “step up” and defend their country amid the pullout of American forces, spokesman John Kirby said. With the Taliban claiming to have taken control of 85 per cent of Afghanistan, which the US government officials dispute, Kirby told Fox News on Sunday that the Pentagon was “not unmindful” of the situation.

“We’re certainly watching with deep concern, the deteriorating security situation and the violence which is of course way too high, and the advances and the momentum that the Taliban seems to have right now,” he said.