U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday warned of “bad things” if Afghanistan does not return control of the Bagram Air Base to the United States, leaving open the possibility of sending troops to retake it.
“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He added that discussions with Afghanistan were ongoing but declined to confirm any military action. “We won’t talk about that. We want it back soon, right away,” he told reporters at the White House.
The sprawling airfield, once the primary U.S. base during America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, included amenities like Burger King and Pizza Hut, as well as a major prison and shops selling electronics and Afghan crafts.
Following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, the Taliban seized the base and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul collapsed. Afghan officials have expressed opposition to any renewed U.S. presence, and current and former U.S. officials privately caution that reoccupying Bagram could resemble a full-scale re-invasion, requiring more than 10,000 troops and advanced air defenses.
Even if a negotiated handover were possible, experts warn the base would face threats from Islamic State and al Qaeda militants inside Afghanistan, as well as potential missile attacks from Iran, which targeted a U.S. air base in Qatar in June after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump, who has previously suggested the U.S. acquire strategic sites including the Panama Canal and Greenland, has long focused on Bagram, emphasizing its strategic and symbolic value in America’s post-9/11 military operations.
