Trump says U.S. aims to retake Bagram Air Base, warns it sits near China's nuclear sites

Donald Trump said the United States is attempting to recapture Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan after it was overrun by the Taliban, during an appearance with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He warned the base is 'an hour away' from China's nuclear weapons facilities, saying, "We're trying to get it back, by the way... It's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons."

The base was abandoned by U.S. forces in July 2021, allowing the Taliban to seize control as their fighters surged across Afghanistan. The remarks, spoken in a public setting, are being treated as a developing line of inquiry by Trump’s supporters and have drawn attention to the ongoing volatility surrounding Afghanistan and regional security concerns about China.

The United States withdrew from Bagram in 2021 with little notice, leaving the sprawling base in the hands of the Taliban and ending a decade-plus of American air support and logistics operations centered there. Trump's comments tied the fate of Bagram to broader accusations about China's military posture, a topic that has featured prominently in U.S. political discourse as Beijing expands its regional and global footprint.

Analysts say Bagram's location, near major supply routes and the capital, once made it a linchpin of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan. While there is no independent confirmation that any operation to retake Bagram is underway, the statement underscores how questions about U.S. leverage in Afghanistan—already altered by the 2021 withdrawal—continue to influence political dialogue in Washington and its allies.

The remarks also come amid a wider discussion of how U.S. policymakers view potential flashpoints with China, including the risk that strategic bases could become bargaining chips in a broader competition over nuclear and conventional forces. The story is developing, and officials caution that the situation on the ground remains fluid.