Trump threatens Afghanistan over Bagram air base control

US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Afghanistan, saying 'bad things' will follow if Kabul refuses to hand back control of the Bagram air base to the United States.

In a fiery post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump wrote: 'If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.' He stopped short of detailing what those consequences might be, but when pressed by reporters at the White House about whether he would consider deploying troops to retake the facility, Trump replied cryptically: 'We won’t talk about that.'
Bagram, located just north of Kabul, was the largest American military installation during the two-decade war in Afghanistan. It served as the hub for combat operations, logistics, and intelligence after the September 11, 2001 attacks. it housed tens of thousands of US and NATO personnel, complete with fast-food outlets like Burger King and Pizza Hut, shopping stalls, and a notorious prison complex that once held Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.
The base fell into Taliban hands after the chaotic US withdrawal in August 2021, when Washington pulled out the last of its forces and the Western-backed Afghan government collapsed almost overnight. Since then, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have made clear they do not want foreign troops returning to the country.
Despite that resistance, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of reclaiming Bagram, portraying it as a strategic asset that should never have been abandoned. On Thursday, he confirmed the US had 'sought to regain control' of the site and hinted at ongoing talks with Afghan officials. By Friday, he was doubling down, telling reporters that he wanted it back 'right away.'
Inside Washington, however, both current and former officials warn that any attempt to retake the base would be far from straightforward. Military planners estimate such an operation could require more than 10,000 US troops and sophisticated air defenses, raising fears of sliding into a new war that could be viewed internationally as a full-scale re-invasion.
Trump, who has a history of eyeing strategic real estate—from suggesting the US should “buy Greenland” to musing about control over the Panama Canal—appears unusually fixated on Bagram. For him, the airfield represents both a symbol of American power projection and a strategic gateway between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
As of now, Afghanistan’s leadership has rejected the idea of ceding control, setting up a potential diplomatic showdown with Washington if Trump’s rhetoric escalates further.