US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied reports that the Taliban blocked American attempts to fly out of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, but said the Taliban did not allow charter flights to take off due to the lack of valid travel documents for some people.

Over the past few days, there have been reports that 1,000 people, including Americans, have been stuck at Mazar-e-Sharif airport, awaiting clearance for charter flights. One organizer blamed the State Department for the delay - criticism echoed by Republicans, who said not enough had been done to make charter flights easier.

Blinken said Washington has identified relatively few Americans wanting to leave Mazar-e-Sharif. But one of the main problems with attempted charter flights was that some people did not have valid travel documents, which effectively blocked the entire group's departure, he said.

Blinken added that the Taliban are reaffirming their commitment to allow Americans to leave with valid travel documents.