The story: Qatar is increasingly flexing its diplomatic muscle in Afghanistan. In the first visit by a foreign minister since the withdrawal of US forces on Aug. 31, the Taliban have hosted Qatari Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Importantly, beyond meeting with top Taliban officials, Qatar’s chief diplomat also met with prominent Afghan opposition politicians Abdullah Abdullah and Hamid Karzai.

The coverage: Given that Doha has hosted a Taliban political office since 2013—and was also the site of the 2020 US-Taliban deal—Qatar is in pole position in the influence game...