Trump says US seeking return of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States is trying to regain control of Bagram Air Base from the Islamic Emirate, though details of the effort remain unclear.

Speaking at a joint news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Trump said his administration is pressing to reclaim the former hub of American military operations, which has been under Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) control since the 2021 withdrawal.

“We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

Trump did not elaborate on how the U.S. is trying to get Bagram back nor did he explain what the Islamic Emirate “need” from Washington.

As of Thursday night, the Islamic Emirate had not yet issued any public response to Trump’s remarks.

Over the past few months Bagram has however come under scrutiny by the media.

In May, Trump claimed that China had taken control of the air base, a statement Afghan officials strongly denied.

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at the time that “there are no foreign troops at Bagram” and that Afghanistan “will never accept the military presence of foreign forces.”