Taliban Declares Inadmissible Return of U.S. to Bagram Base

The Taliban has categorically rejected the possibility of the U.S. returning to Bagram Airfield. This statement was made in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent warning to Afghanistan, in which he threatened "bad things" if the country refused to transfer the base under American control, RBC reports.

Bagram Airfield is part of Afghan territory; it "is no different from any other part of Afghan land," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated to Al Arabiya. He emphasized that Kabul would never agree to transfer the territory to the United States.

Commenting on Trump’s remarks that Kabul would face "bad things" if they refused, Mujahid said that Afghanistan "has endured 'bad things' for 20 years under American occupation."

"Afghans are extremely sensitive to occupation, and no Afghan will ever allow their land to be seized or transferred into the hands of foreigners, not even by an inch," he stated.

The Taliban spokesman added that Afghanistan is open to "rational" cooperation with the United States and wishes to maintain relations with both Washington and Beijing.

Regarding reports that the U.S. plans to retake Bagram Airfield, which was "handed over for nothing" in 2021, Trump announced this last week during a press conference with British Prime Minister Kiri Starmer.

The airfield was built in the 1950s. During the Soviet campaign from 1979 to 1989, it became one of the key deployment points for troops. Since 2001, Bagram has been under U.S. control. American troops left Bagram during the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump explained his plans to regain the base due to its strategic location. He said it was "an hour's drive from the place where China is producing its nuclear weapons."

Later, he stated that Washington was negotiating with Kabul to restore military presence at the base, noting that U.S. authorities "had no reason" to abandon it. He then threatened "bad things" if Afghanistan did not transfer Bagram to U.S. control.

"If they don’t do it, you’ll find out what I will do," the American leader warned.

Kabul rejected Trump’s demands. The government urged Washington not to repeat the "failed experience of the past" and to "make a decision based on realism and rationality."

Former and current U.S. officials told Reuters that returning control of the airfield to the U.S. would be a renewed invasion of Afghanistan, as it would require significant efforts to maintain it. South China Morning Post noted that Washington’s desire to reclaim the base could lead to conflict with Beijing due to its proximity to Chinese nuclear sites.