Britain, Germany, Denmark and Spain have announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies.
Ismail Khan, 75, has for decades been a force in Herat, Afghanistan's third-biggest city that is of huge strategic value partly due to its close proximity to Iran.
Much of the blame for the slow pace at which the Chabahar project progressed should rest on India and its over-cautious attitude.
The fall of major cities is a sign that Afghans welcomed the Taliban, says a spokesperson of the group.