Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington's special envoy to Afghanistan, warns in a Senate hearing that if the Taliban were to seize power militarily from the government in Kabul, they will have little international support.
"They will face isolation, regional opposition, sanctions, and international opprobrium," he says.
The US, earlier on Tuesday, ordered non-essential staff to leave its Kabul embassy, citing increased threats as Washington prepares to end its 20-year war in Afghanistan.
