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Islamic Emirate says it will never hand over Bagram air base to the US
Mujahid also addressed the recent 48-hour nationwide internet shutdown that crippled banking, travel, and communications across the country. He said the government had not been informed of the cause.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has ruled out any possibility of handing over Bagram air base to the United States, rejecting calls by US President Donald Trump to “take back” the facility that once served as the centerpiece of America’s military presence in Afghanistan.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, IEA chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “Afghans will never allow their land to be handed over to anyone under any circumstances.”
Mujahid also confirmed that the Islamic Emirate government has held talks with US officials about reopening the Afghan embassy in Washington and the US embassy in Kabul — a rare sign of diplomatic engagement despite strained relations.
“We have discussed this matter and we wish to see the embassies reopened both in Kabul and in Washington,” Mujahid told Sky News Asia.
Four years after regaining power, the IEA remains largely unrecognized internationally, with only Russia having formally acknowledged the government. Mujahid, however, claimed that several other countries “privately recognize” the Islamic Emirate’s leadership.
“It is not only Russia that has openly recognized the Islamic Emirate. There are several other countries that have extended recognition, though not publicly,” he said.
The IEA continues to face mounting criticism for its restrictions on women and girls and when asked whether secondary schools for girls would reopen, Mujahid declined to commit: “I cannot make any promises in this regard,” he said, adding that any decision would depend on “Islamic scholars deliberating in accordance with Sharia.”
Mujahid also addressed the recent 48-hour nationwide internet shutdown that crippled banking, travel, and communications across the country. He said the government had not been informed of the cause.
Human rights activists condemned the blackout as an act of censorship that further isolates Afghans, especially women who rely on online education.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan continues to face severe humanitarian and economic crises, compounded by drought and sharp reductions in international aid. UNICEF estimates that 90% of Afghan children under five live in food poverty.
Despite this, Mujahid maintained that the country is showing “visible signs of recovery,” claiming Afghanistan now enjoys “relative peace and stability under a unified government.”
He dismissed criticism that IEA policies have worsened hunger, saying: “Men remain the primary providers in the vast majority of households,” and the country has “a sufficient number of female doctors.”