An Afghan Taliban government official stated on Sunday that a deal over Bagram air base is “not possible,” following a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that he wants the former U.S. base back.
On Saturday, Trump threatened Afghanistan with unspecified consequences, just days after he first raised the idea of the U.S. retaking control of the base during a state visit to the United Kingdom. “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” the 79-year-old leader wrote on his Truth Social platform.
On Sunday, Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defence, said that “some people” want to take back the base through a “political deal.” In comments broadcast by local media, he stated, “Recently, some people have said that they have entered negotiations with Afghanistan for taking back Bagram Air base.” He added, “A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan’s soil is not possible. We don’t need it.”
Bagram, Afghanistan’s largest air base, was a key hub for the U.S.-led war effort against the Taliban, whose government was toppled by Washington following the September 11, 2001, attacks. U.S. and NATO troops made a chaotic withdrawal from Bagram in July 2021 as part of a Trump-brokered deal with the Taliban. The loss of crucial air power led to the collapse of the Afghan military just weeks later, allowing the Taliban to sweep back into power.
