Saturday, March 29, 2025
Kabul/Washington, September 21, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Afghanistan, demanding the return of Bagram Air Base from Taliban control. The statement has sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Kabul, raising fears of a potential military confrontation.
Trump, who often describes himself as a “peace broker,” posted on his official social media account that if the Taliban does not hand back control of the base, the situation will “get very bad.” The warning marks one of the strongest signals yet that the U.S. may consider military action.
Bagram Air Base, one of the largest military installations in the world, came under Taliban control after the U.S. troop withdrawal in 2021. Strategically located near Chinese nuclear sites, the air base is seen as critical to U.S. geopolitical interests.
Trump said the base should be returned peacefully but warned, “America knows how to take back what belongs to it.” U.S. defense analysts believe any attempt to retake Bagram would require a large-scale military operation, a move the Taliban strongly opposes.
The Taliban government has rejected U.S. demands, stating that Afghanistan seeks relations based on mutual respect, not foreign pressure. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stressed that Afghanistan will not tolerate “even an inch” of foreign military presence on its soil. Senior Taliban diplomat Zakir Jalali echoed the sentiment, saying Afghans have never accepted foreign military bases on their land, though political and economic dialogue remains open.
U.S. Congress – Several lawmakers have backed Trump’s demand, calling the effort to reclaim Bagram a strategic necessity.
China – Beijing strongly opposed Trump’s remarks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that “Afghanistan’s future lies in the hands of its people, not the United States.”
The dispute has raised concerns of fresh instability in Afghanistan, just as the country struggles with its fragile economy and internal security. Experts warn that any U.S. attempt to retake Bagram could trigger a major conflict with the Taliban, with ripple effects across the region.
