Trump issues unspecified threat to Afghanistan over Bagram air base

Washington: US President Donald Trump warned Afghanistan on Saturday with unspecified penalties if the Taliban-controlled country did not "give Bagram Airbase back.”

“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.

Trump suggested that Washington was seeking to regain control of Afghanistan’s Bagram air base, a remark that followed his earlier comments in the UK about the possibility of retaking the facility.

Bagram, the largest American military base in Afghanistan, played a central role in the US-led war against the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long accused US forces of widespread abuses there, particularly in relation to detainees during the “War on Terror.”

Trump has frequently voiced regret over the loss of Bagram, emphasising its strategic location near China. At a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said efforts were underway to reclaim the base, calling it “breaking news” and suggesting that Afghanistan’s leadership might require concessions from the US, AFP reported.

The base was abandoned in July 2021, when US and NATO forces withdrew under a peace deal brokered during Trump’s earlier tenure, paving the way for the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan. Since returning to the office, Trump has regularly cited the loss of Bagram in his criticism of Joe Biden’s handling of the US exit, while also warning about Beijing’s growing influence in the region.