President Joe Biden wants to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a senior administration official says.
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Biden has been facing mounting pressure to make a decision on the deployment of troops in Afghanistan, where the United States has had a sustained military presence for the past 19 years.
He will formally announce his decision in a speech at the White House on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
The senior administration official earlier briefed reporters on the plan, remaining anonymous under rules set by the White House.
Former president Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year, agreeing to withdraw all US and international troops from Afghanistan by May 1.
In return, the Taliban vowed to cut ties with al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups and enter into intra-Afghan peace talks.
Since the signing of the deal, there have been no attacks on the foreign forces in the country. However, the Taliban has intensified attacks against the internationally-backed Afghan government.
Biden said recently that his administration is unlikely to meet the fast-approaching May deadline, while also making it clear that he wants US troops out of the country.
The US invaded Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks and overthrew the Taliban regime. It is the longest war Washington has ever waged.
Biden said that accelerating the pace of peace negotiations under way among the warring Afghan parties would be key to pulling out troops.
The Afghanistan decision is one of the most delicate that Biden has had to make in his young administration. Observers fear that if international troops withdraw without a political solution, Afghanistan could enter a new civil war.
According to official information, there are currently around 2500 US soldiers in Afghanistan. At its peak 10 years ago, the number was around 100,000.
Australian Associated Press
