President Donald Trump on Saturday issued direct threats to Afghanistan’s Taliban government, demanding the return of Bagram Air Base to U.S. control or face unspecified consequences.
Trump’s Threat
Trump posted on Truth Social, warning that “bad things are going to happen” if Afghanistan doesn’t return a key strategic facility, according to The Hill.
Strategic China Concerns
Trump described Bagram as “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” emphasizing the geopolitical tensions that could affect the U.S.-China trade relations. According to the reports, the president cited this proximity as the reason driving the administration’s renewed interest in the facility.
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Administration Position
Trump said during a recent press conference that the U.S. was “trying to get it back” because the Taliban needed things from the United States.
Trump has regularly criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Afghanistan, complaining that the base “had been given back to Afghanistan for nothing.”
Bagram was once the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan during the country’s longest conflict. It was abandoned in 2021 when the Biden administration withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
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