U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to retake Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. In response, the Taliban strongly condemned the U.S. President’s statements.
SNPNEWS.IN News Update, Sep 25: U.S. President Donald Trump shared a post on his X (Twitter) account, threatening to retake Bagram Airbase (built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, captured by the U.S. in 2001 during the war against Al-Qaeda, and handed over to the Afghan army in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal, subsequently taken over by the Taliban). Trump stated that the U.S. is attempting to reclaim Bagram Airbase from the Taliban, as the latter needs American assistance. He blamed Joe Biden for abandoning the airbase in Afghanistan. In a post on X, Trump wrote, “If Afghanistan does not return Bagram Airbase, bad things will happen!”
Bagram Airbase is located in Parwan province, Afghanistan, 64 kilometers from Kabul, and served as a key base during the 20-year U.S. war in the country. It is a few hours away from China’s nuclear sites, which Trump considers strategically significant against China.
According to satellite imagery, there is minimal activity at the base under Taliban control, and no evidence of Chinese presence has been found.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry official Zakir Jalal completely rejected any U.S. presence. Senior Defense Ministry official Fasehuddin Fitrat stated, “Not a single inch of Afghanistan’s land is for sale.”
The Taliban swiftly rejected Trump’s threats, asserting that any U.S. military presence on Afghan soil is now impossible. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X (Twitter): “The U.S. should abandon its strategy of interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and focus on working for its own people.” Mujahid referenced the 2020 Doha Agreement, in which the U.S. pledged not to threaten Afghanistan’s territorial integrity or interfere in its internal affairs.
U.S. officials have warned that retaking Bagram would require over 10,000 troops and air defense systems, resembling a new offensive operation. One official noted that talks with the Taliban are focused on securing the release of American citizens.