Images from the ground show hundreds if not thousands of Afghans crowding the airport, including the tarmac, in an apparent attempt to flee the country.
The prospect of a Taliban takeover has people inside and outside Afghanistan worried about a return to an oppressive past. As the U.S. nears a full withdrawal, those fears are rapidly growing.
As foreign troops withdraw, the Taliban have seized parts of Afghan highways and closed in on cities. One arms dealer in the country says they're even buying heavier weaponry.
The Afghan military remains heavily dependent on U.S. equipment, training and money. It's far from clear how effective this U.S. assistance will be once American troops are gone.
Al-Qaida is degraded but not defeated. Analyst Colin Clarke assesses where the U.S. may be mapping out its future counterterrorism presence after withdrawing from Afghanistan.
In a letter reportedly sent to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. "has not ruled out any option" and asked him to "understand the urgency of my tone."
The victims of recent fighting in Helmand include a pregnant woman struck by a stray bullet. Peace talks continue, but the Taliban argue that an Afghan cease-fire should come as the talks conclude.
With talks begun between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban, U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad tells NPR the U.S. has "tested" the Taliban and "they are meeting those tests."
