Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Khalilzad's deputy, Thomas West, would take over.

“Thank you to Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for decades of tireless service to the United States. Pleased to welcome Thomas West to the role of Special Representative for Afghanistan,” Blinken tweeted.

In September 2018, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo named Khalilzad as the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, a newly created envoy with the mission of securing a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

As of March 2021, he has continued in this role under the new administration of Joe Biden.