Trump warns of consequences if Afghanistan doesn't return Bagram Air Base

Trump warns of consequences if Afghanistan doesn’t return Bagram Air Base

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Afghan soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint outside the U.S Bagram air base, on the day the last American troops evacuated it, Parwan province, Afghanistan, July 2, 2021 — Reuters

The US is aiming to regain control of the base used after September 11.
Trump confirmed discussions with Afghanistan are ongoing.
Kabul urges diplomatic engagement without U.S. military presence.

On Saturday, U.S. President Trump issued a warning to Afghanistan, stating that if the country does not surrender control of Bagram Air Base, ‘bad things are going to happen.’

“If Afghanistan doesn’t hand over Bagram Airbase to those who built it—the United States—then serious consequences will follow,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He noted on Thursday that the U.S. had been seeking to reassert control over the base used by American forces since the attacks of September 11, 2001. He mentioned in a statement to reporters on Friday that negotiations with Afghanistan were underway.

The withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021 resulted in the Taliban taking over the base.

Afghan officials have voiced their opposition to a renewed U.S. presence.

“Both Afghanistan and the United States need to engage… but without the U.S. maintaining any military footprint in Afghanistan,” said Zakir Jalal, an Afghan Foreign Ministry official, in a post on X Thursday.