Taliban rejects Trump’s push for Bagram Air Base but signals willingness to negotiate
TOI World Desk | TOI Global Desk | Sep 19, 2025, 20:53 IST
Donald Trump revealed efforts to reclaim Bagram Air Base, abandoned in 2021, citing its proximity to China. The Taliban swiftly rejected any foreign military presence but expressed willingness to discuss political and economic ties. While control of Bagram remains unlikely, Trump’s comments reignite attention on U.S.-Afghan relations amid broader geopolitical tensions with China.
In a recent turn of events, Taliban officials strongly dismissed President Donald Trump's indication that the United States might recover control of the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, the final major U.S. military base left behind during the 2021 withdrawal. Yet, the Taliban did indicate willingness to sit down and negotiate terms for better political and economic ties between the two nations.
At a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Trump revealed that his administration had been attempting to negotiate the return of Bagram Air Base, located just north of Kabul. Trump emphasized the base’s strategic importance, noting that it’s roughly an hour away from China’s nuclear weapons facilities. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” he said.
Trump had previously faulted the decision to leave behind the base, but this was the first time he did so publically while speaking of ongoing efforts to recapture the facility. The Bagram Air Base was the largest American military base in Afghanistan over the course of the two-decade war before U.S. troops left it in 2021, just ahead of the Taliban takeover of the nation.
The Taliban quickly reacted to Trump's statement. Zakir Jalaly, a representative of Afghanistan's foreign ministry, said through social media that Afghanistan will not permit any foreign military presence, but the nation is willing to engage in political and economic relations based on mutual interest and respect. "Afghans never accepted military presence of anyone in the course of history," Jalaly wrote, "But all doors are open for other types of engagement." He also complimented Trump as "a good businessman and negotiator, not only a politician."
Other Taliban leaders were tougher in tone. Muhajer Farahi, a deputy minister, issued a cryptic poem about those who previously fought for the Taliban, hinting at a strong opposition to further U.S. military interference.
Although Trump did not offer details on how the U.S. would utilize Bagram if the control was re-established, the proposal highlights existing tensions between the U.S., Afghanistan, and China, considering the base's strategic location in relation to Chinese military installations. Trump earlier stated that China had control over Bagram, a fact that has been refuted by the Taliban.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has been largely isolated at the international level. The Taliban regime is recognized by no state other than Russia and has serious economic challenges owing to a paucity of foreign investments and foreign aid. Afghanistan will once again be missing from the next United Nations General Assembly as its representatives are excluded from international travel by the U.N.
The United States military left a lot of equipment and infrastructure in Afghanistan during its chaotic departure, including a large embassy compound currently lying empty in Kabul. Markets in the city still offer United States military equipment for sale, and graffiti outside the airport states openly the Taliban victory over America.
The likelihood of re-opening Bagram to the United States is remote in the near future with the Taliban's opposition to inviting foreign troops to return. Yet, the fact that they would now sit down and discuss political and economic issues indicates that diplomatic channels, though tentative, are open.
At a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Trump revealed that his administration had been attempting to negotiate the return of Bagram Air Base, located just north of Kabul. Trump emphasized the base’s strategic importance, noting that it’s roughly an hour away from China’s nuclear weapons facilities. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” he said.
Trump had previously faulted the decision to leave behind the base, but this was the first time he did so publically while speaking of ongoing efforts to recapture the facility. The Bagram Air Base was the largest American military base in Afghanistan over the course of the two-decade war before U.S. troops left it in 2021, just ahead of the Taliban takeover of the nation.
The Taliban quickly reacted to Trump's statement. Zakir Jalaly, a representative of Afghanistan's foreign ministry, said through social media that Afghanistan will not permit any foreign military presence, but the nation is willing to engage in political and economic relations based on mutual interest and respect. "Afghans never accepted military presence of anyone in the course of history," Jalaly wrote, "But all doors are open for other types of engagement." He also complimented Trump as "a good businessman and negotiator, not only a politician."
Other Taliban leaders were tougher in tone. Muhajer Farahi, a deputy minister, issued a cryptic poem about those who previously fought for the Taliban, hinting at a strong opposition to further U.S. military interference.
Although Trump did not offer details on how the U.S. would utilize Bagram if the control was re-established, the proposal highlights existing tensions between the U.S., Afghanistan, and China, considering the base's strategic location in relation to Chinese military installations. Trump earlier stated that China had control over Bagram, a fact that has been refuted by the Taliban.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has been largely isolated at the international level. The Taliban regime is recognized by no state other than Russia and has serious economic challenges owing to a paucity of foreign investments and foreign aid. Afghanistan will once again be missing from the next United Nations General Assembly as its representatives are excluded from international travel by the U.N.
The United States military left a lot of equipment and infrastructure in Afghanistan during its chaotic departure, including a large embassy compound currently lying empty in Kabul. Markets in the city still offer United States military equipment for sale, and graffiti outside the airport states openly the Taliban victory over America.
The likelihood of re-opening Bagram to the United States is remote in the near future with the Taliban's opposition to inviting foreign troops to return. Yet, the fact that they would now sit down and discuss political and economic issues indicates that diplomatic channels, though tentative, are open.