Afghan political analyst Ahmad Saeedi says Zalmay Khalilzad’s involvement in the US-Taliban Doha Agreement may not have been his only significant engagement with Afghanistan, suggesting that he may also be linked to a major business deal in the country’s oil and gas sector.
Saeedi claims that, in recent months, Khalilzad’s name has increasingly been associated with Saudi-based Delta International and its oil and gas projects in Afghanistan.
According to Saeedi, Khalilzad was present at a meeting in October 2025 between Delta International’s chief executive and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s economic deputy. He says the meeting focused on the exploration and extraction of oil and gas in Afghanistan, as well as the development of gas pipelines.
Saeedi further says that on 7 September 2026, Delta International signed an agreement with the Taliban for the exploration and extraction of oil and gas in the Koshk-Tirpal block. Khalilzad was also present at the signing ceremony, he claims.
The initial investment in the project has reportedly been put at around $200 million.
Saeedi alleges that Khalilzad has a business relationship with Delta International and argues that his longstanding ties with the Taliban could potentially allow him to benefit from investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
