U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington seeks to regain control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base, stressing its strategic importance due to its location near China’s nuclear facilities and regional missile sites.
Speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump declared that the United States is “determined” to retake Bagram, describing it as a critical strategic asset that should never have been abandoned.
A longstanding critic of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal, Trump reiterated that the chaotic exit overseen by former President Joe Biden not only left behind billions of dollars in weapons and equipment but also allowed America’s largest air base in Central Asia to fall into Taliban hands. He argued that losing Bagram was a historic blunder, pointing out that the base provided the U.S. with a rare foothold in a region bordering both China and Iran.
Trump went further, alleging that Beijing now exerts influence over the base, a claim the Taliban has strongly denied. “We lost it for free. Now we are trying to take it back,” Trump said, emphasizing Bagram’s proximity to Chinese missile sites, which he described as being just “one hour away” by air. He insisted that reclaiming the base is not merely about Afghanistan but about safeguarding broader U.S. and allied security interests against rivals such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid quickly rejected Trump’s remarks, dismissing them as “wishful thinking” and reiterating that Bagram remains under the full control of Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate. He stressed that Afghanistan will not permit the return of any foreign military presence on its soil, portraying Trump’s comments as part of Washington’s “imperialist ambitions.”
The renewed debate underscores Afghanistan’s enduring role in U.S. strategic calculations, particularly as tensions with Beijing escalate over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and global influence. For Washington, regaining Bagram would symbolize a reversal of the 2021 withdrawal and a reassertion of American power projection in Asia. For the Taliban, however, it represents a red line tied to their sovereignty narrative.
Analysts note that Trump’s remarks may also play into U.S. domestic politics, appealing to voters who view Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan exit as a foreign policy disaster. At the same time, they highlight the increasingly central role of China in shaping Washington’s military and diplomatic strategy, with Afghanistan once again caught in the middle of great power rivalry.
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