KABUL: Afghanistan’s defence ministry on Sunday firmly rejected the possibility of ceding control of the former US military hub at Bagram airbase, after American President Donald Trump demanded its return and threatened consequences if Kabul refused.
Bagram, located north of Kabul, was once the epicentre of US operations during the 20-year war against the Taliban and remains the largest air facility in Afghanistan. It was abandoned in July 2021 amid the chaotic US and NATO withdrawal under President Joe Biden, which stemmed from a 2020 Trump-brokered deal with the Taliban. The sudden pullout left the Afghan military without vital air support, leading to its swift collapse and the Taliban’s return to power weeks later.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump lashed out at Afghanistan’s refusal, writing: “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” The 79-year-old leader, currently pressing for a more muscular US global posture, has long complained about losing Bagram, often citing its strategic location near China.
Afghan defence chief of staff Fasihuddin Fitrat dismissed any notion of negotiations, insisting that sovereignty was non-negotiable. “Recently, some people have said that they have entered negotiations with Afghanistan for taking back Bagram air base,” he told local media. “A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan’s soil is not possible. We don’t need it.” Later, the government issued a statement stressing that “Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of utmost importance.”
Trump, speaking to reporters during a state visit to Britain, hinted that Washington was exploring options to reclaim the base. Asked if he might send troops back, he replied: “We won’t talk about that, but we’re talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.”
The sprawling airbase carries a controversial legacy. Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long accused US forces of committing systematic abuses at Bagram, particularly against detainees during the height of the “War on Terror.”
Originally built in the 1950s with Soviet assistance, the base expanded during the Cold War with US support and grew further under Moscow’s occupation in the 1980s. At the height of American involvement around 2010, it resembled a small city, complete with supermarkets, fast-food outlets like Dairy Queen and Burger King, and quarters for thousands of troops. Several US presidents visited the base, including Barack Obama in 2012 and Trump himself in 2019.
The renewed dispute underscores the enduring symbolic and strategic significance of Bagram. For Kabul’s Taliban-led government, holding the base is a matter of sovereignty. For Trump and his supporters, regaining control would signal the restoration of US military influence in a region of growing strategic competition with China and Russia.
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