The claim is true because the Taliban retook Kabul and returned to de facto power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, making August 15, 2026 the five-year anniversary of their rule.
True
The Taliban have been in power in Afghanistan for five years.
Five years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan plunges into a state of collapse – visualised - Taliban | The Guardian
Source: theguardian.com
At a glance
Verified August 15, 2026Key Evidence
The Guardian and CNN describe the situation as five years after the Taliban's return to power.
The New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, The Economic Times, The Jerusalem Post, Newsday, and the Bangkok Post all report that Taliban leaders marked five years in power on August 15, 2026.
Deutsche Welle provides additional context about insurgent challenges but does not dispute that the Taliban had been in power for five years.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The statement uses the ordinary political meaning of being in power, rather than implying universal international recognition. On August 15, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul as the previous Afghan government collapsed. As of the stated current date, August 15, 2026, that amounts to five years.
Multiple sources published on August 15, 2026, directly describe the anniversary as five years of Taliban rule or five years since the Taliban returned to power. The Guardian, The New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, The Economic Times, The Jerusalem Post, CNN, Newsday, and the Bangkok Post all support the timing. Deutsche Welle also refers to the five-year anniversary, while noting that insurgent pressure had challenged Taliban control in at least one district before the anniversary.
The claim does not state that the Taliban's government is internationally recognized, that it controls every part of Afghanistan without opposition, or that conditions have improved. Those are separate questions. The sources instead emphasize that the Taliban remains the country's de facto governing authority while Afghanistan faces serious humanitarian, economic, and human-rights crises, particularly restrictions on women and girls.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source