Washington, September 21: US President Donald Trump has warned Afghanistan’s Taliban government to hand back control of the Bagram Air Base to Washington, threatening that “bad things are going to happen” if they refuse.
“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Bagram, once the largest US military facility in Afghanistan, has been under Taliban control since the American withdrawal in 2021. Trump has repeatedly argued that the US should have retained control of the air base, given its strategic location near the Afghan-China border.
During a recent London visit, Trump said the US was “trying to get it back,” stressing that his administration would have withdrawn troops “with strength and dignity” while holding on to Bagram. Several US lawmakers have echoed Trump’s stance, calling the move strategic.
China, however, dismissed the remarks. “China respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, urging all parties to avoid fueling confrontation.
The Taliban has not officially reacted to Trump’s latest statement. Earlier, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had asserted that “not an inch of Afghan soil is acceptable for foreign military presence.”
Russia, meanwhile, has repeatedly warned against US attempts to re-establish a military foothold in Afghanistan.
