Taliban rejects Trump’s demand to retake Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Sky News that “Afghans will never allow their land to be handed over to anyone under any circumstances.”

The Bagram Air Base, located north of Kabul, served as the hub of U.S. and NATO military operations in Afghanistan for nearly two decades before American forces withdrew in 2021. The U.S. left behind military equipment and infrastructure when it abandoned the base ahead of the Taliban’s return to power.

The withdrawal, completed under former President Joe Biden, followed an agreement negotiated during Trump’s first term, which set the conditions for a full U.S. troop exit. The pullout led to the rapid collapse of the Afghan military and the Taliban’s takeover weeks later.

In September, Trump warned of “bad things” if Afghanistan did not “return” the base to the United States, writing on Truth Social, “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it—the United States of America—BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!”

During a recent visit to Britain, Trump again suggested that the U.S. should retake the Bagram base, citing its strategic proximity to China. Asked later at the White House whether he was considering sending troops to seize the facility, Trump replied, “We won’t talk about that, but we’re talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back soon.”

Built in the 1950s with Soviet assistance, Bagram was later expanded by both Moscow and Washington. At its peak around 2010, it functioned like a small American town, complete with supermarkets and fast-food outlets. The base hosted visits from several U.S. presidents, including Barack Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2019.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long alleged that detainees at Bagram were subjected to abuse and mistreatment during the U.S.-led “War on Terror.”