U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to regain control of the former Bagram air base in northeastern Afghanistan, a facility that was abandoned during the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Trump argued that the United States should never have relinquished the base and stressed the importance of recapturing it. He added that negotiations are under way with Afghanistan’s new government to address the issue.
The Bagram air base was evacuated by American troops in July 2021, a month before the Taliban seized Kabul, marking the end of a 20‑year U.S. occupation. The looted base and abandoned military equipment have become symbols of the failed war in Afghanistan. Although Trump negotiated the withdrawal of U.S. forces during his first term, he blamed the fall of Kabul on President Joe Biden, calling the chaotic departure of the last American soldiers “a disgrace.”
Afghan Foreign Ministry official Zakir Jalaly responded to Trump’s remarks, stating that the Afghan people would reject the return of U.S. troops. Jalaly emphasized that economic and political relations between Afghanistan and the United States should be based on mutual respect and should not involve a military presence.
The abandonment of Bagram has been widely criticized as a strategic mistake, and the chaotic U.S. withdrawal contributed to the Taliban’s rapid takeover. The episode has raised questions about the future of U.S.–Afghan relations and the possibility of renewed military involvement. As negotiations continue, it remains uncertain how the United States will proceed in its effort to regain control of the base, and the outcome will have significant implications for the region and for bilateral relations.
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