Taliban Rejects Idea of U.S. Returning to Bagram Air Base

Zakir Jalal, who works in the Taliban’s foreign ministry, said the idea of the US maintaining any military presence in Afghanistan had been ‘completely’ rejected during talks between the two sides before the Taliban returned to power.

It came after the US President hinted retaking Bagram Air Base – the epicenter of Nato forces in Afghanistan for two decades – might be possible “because they need things from us”, as reported by BBC.

Trump said at a press conference in the UK on Thursday the US “gave it to them for nothing”.

Bagram, which had been the center of NATO forces in Afghanistan for two decades, was handed over to the Afghan military shortly before the Taliban came to power.

Trump also said he planned to retain control of the base not because of Afghanistan, but because of its strategic location near China.

According to him, Bagram is located ‘an hour away’ from where China produces nuclear weapons. However, BBC Verify points out that the nearest nuclear test site in China is located approximately 2,000 km away.

In addition, the US President has repeatedly claimed that China had allegedly established a presence at Bagram Airfield. The Taliban denies these claims. A BBC investigation covering 30 satellite images from 2020 to 2025 found no signs of activity or Chinese presence at the base.