Trump warns Afghanistan over return of strategic Bagram Air Base to U.S. control
The former president pressed Kabul to hand back the base, citing strategic proximity to China, while U.S. officials describe ongoing discussions with the Taliban.
President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened Afghanistan, now governed by the Taliban, that if Bagram Air Base isn’t returned to the United States, “BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” The post, published on Truth Social, did not specify what consequences might follow.
Trump had also said on Thursday that the administration is “trying” to get the former U.S. Bagram Airfield back from the Taliban. In remarks to the press while standing alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he added, “We’re trying to get it back. We want that base back, but one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.” He later told reporters on Saturday that the administration wants Bagram back “right away,” and warned that failure to do so would provoke action.
The Taliban seized Bagram six weeks after Kabul fell in 2021, as U.S. forces were withdrawing. The base, built by the Soviets in the 1950s, was captured by the Taliban in August 2021 after the United States pulled out in the middle of the night on July 1, leaving it to the Afghan government. The withdrawal marked a turning point in the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan that began in 2001 following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Earlier this year, White House hostage envoy Adam Boehler met Taliban officials in Kabul in the first direct talks since the 2021 pullout. Boehler and fellow envoy Zalmay Khalilzad conferred with the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and a Taliban statement said they discussed developing bilateral relations, issues related to citizens, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
The U.S. began drawing down troops under a deal reached during the Trump administration in March 2020, agreeing to withdraw all forces by May 1, 2021. President Biden later extended the timeline to August 2021, a shift that followed months of negotiations and rapid changes on the ground. Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
As U.S. officials and the Taliban continue to negotiate in various formats, the strategic status of Bagram remains a point of contention. Washington has emphasized that the base’s future remains tied to broader security and governance considerations in Afghanistan, even as counterterrorism and regional stability concerns persist. The conversation about Bagram also underscores broader questions about how U.S. leverage and influence in the region will be managed going forward, and how Kabul’s leadership aligns with Western strategic interests in a post-withdrawal era.