Taliban dismiss Trump's bid to retake Bagram airbase

A Taliban official dismissed President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States could retake Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, saying the idea was rejected during Doha talks before the Taliban regained power in the country.

The comments come after Trump told reporters in the United Kingdom that reclaiming Bagram might be possible because the United States needs leverage, and that the base was handed to Afghan forces without compensation. He also argued the base’s location near China could be strategically significant, though his remarks drew swift attention overseas and were met with questions about the current status of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Bagram airbase, located north of Kabul, was the epicenter of NATO forces in Afghanistan for nearly two decades. It was transferred to Afghan security forces shortly before the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021. The United States completed its full withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under President Joe Biden as part of a broader accord that had been negotiated during Donald Trump’s first term in office.

Despite Trump’s comments, a Taliban foreign ministry official, Zakir Jalal, asserted that the possibility of any enduring foreign military presence in Afghanistan was categorically rejected during the Doha talks and agreement. Jalal also noted on his social media account that Afghans historically resist foreign military deployments and that the question of maintaining a base on Afghan soil was resolved in the Doha framework, while stressing that the doors remain open to other forms of engagement.

Its current status in the post withdrawal era has been the subject of international scrutiny. Reports have circulated about potential foreign military footprints in Afghanistan, including at Bagram, but independent assessments have largely found little evidence of continued activity at the base since the Taliban took control. A BBC Verify investigation looked at satellite imagery from late 2020 through 2025 and found limited activity at Bagram, with no conclusive proof of a Chinese presence at the site. China has repeatedly called for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and regional stability, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying that Beijing respects Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and that the future should be decided by the Afghan people.

The broader U.S.-Taliban engagement has continued in various forms, with Reuters reporting that recent discussions between American officials and the Taliban focused on Americans who remain in Afghanistan and on broader security concerns. The talks occur in a context of ongoing questions about accountability, security guarantees, and the fate of outside military or advisory personnel lingering in the country after the withdrawal.

Observers note that Bagram’s strategic symbolism remains potent for both sides. For the Taliban, the base is a reminder of the two-decade NATO campaign and the vulnerabilities that accompanied foreign military presence on Afghan soil. For Washington and its allies, it is a touchstone in debates over how to manage regional influence, counterterrorism, and the risk of future instability in a country that has seen rapid political shifts since 2001.

While officials in Kabul and Washington continue to navigate a fragile post-withdrawal reality, the government in Islamabad and regional players have watched closely as Afghanistan contends with reconstruction, governance challenges, and the persistent test of keeping international engagement channels open without reintroducing large-scale foreign militaries. The outcome of ongoing discussions and assessments will shape broader regional stability and the security dynamics across Central and South Asia in the months ahead.