Orders given by former president Donald Trump in the waning days of his administration left Joe Biden “severely constrained” in how he handled the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, an interagency review of the disastrous exit has found.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday 6 April it was “undeniable” that “decisions made and the lack of planning done by the previous administration” had “significantly limited options available” to the current president.

Mr Kirby said Mr Biden’s transition team “asked repeatedly to see plans for withdrawal” and plans for the Special Immigrant Visas programme, but that “none were forthcoming”.