‘Bad Things Will Happen’: Trump Warns Taliban to Hand Over Bagram Airbase to US
US President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum to Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, demanding they “soon” return control of the strategic Bagram Airbase to Washington and warning of “bad things” if they refuse . The public demand, made on Saturday, was swiftly rejected by a Taliban official, who stated that any foreign military presence was ruled out in the 2020 Doha agreement that was brokered by Trump’s own first administration .
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump laid out the threat in unambiguous terms. “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” he wrote . This followed comments made earlier in the week during his UK visit, where he told reporters the US was “trying to get it back because they need things from us,” and emphasized the base’s strategic value due to its proximity to China’s nuclear weapons facilities . “We want Bagram back not because of Afghanistan but China,” he said .
Responding to the demand, Taliban foreign ministry official Zakir Jalal stated that the possibility of a continued US military presence was “completely rejected during the Doha talks,” though he added that “the doors are open to other engagement” . The 2020 Doha agreement paved the way for the full withdrawal of US troops in 2021 and did not include any provisions for the return of military installations .
Bagram Airbase, the largest American military installation in Afghanistan for two decades, was handed over to the Afghan military in July 2021, just weeks before the government collapsed and the Taliban swept back into power . Trump, who has frequently expressed regret over abandoning the base, has now revealed his administration has been quietly pushing to retake it for months, citing its value for counterterrorism and for monitoring China . The Chinese foreign ministry, meanwhile, has dismissed Trump’s claims, stating it “respects Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”
