The U.S. Senate has confirmed career diplomat James Cunningham as the country's next ambassador to Afghanistan.
He is replacing Ryan Crocker, who stepped down for health reasons in May after a career in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon.
Cunningham has been serving as deputy ambassador in Kabul for more than a year.
He was previously the U.S. ambassador to Israel and has also held senior U.S. posts in Hong Kong, NATO, and the United Nations.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters