U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington is in talks with Afghanistan about regaining control of the Bagram air base, a facility once central to America’s military presence in the region. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump stated, “We should have never given it up,” underscoring his stance that the base remains strategically important for U.S. security interests.
His remarks followed a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where Trump emphasized that the United States is actively exploring the possibility of restoring control of the base. Bagram was a key hub for U.S. operations following the September 11, 2001, attacks but was handed over after the U.S. troop withdrawal in 2021. The withdrawal paved the way for the Taliban to seize control of Afghanistan, including Bagram, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s shift back under Islamist rule.
While Trump highlighted the strategic need to return to Bagram, Afghan officials pushed back on any renewed U.S. military presence. Zakir Jalal, a foreign ministry official, wrote on X that Afghanistan and the United States should work together diplomatically “without the United States maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan.”
The debate reflects ongoing tensions between Washington’s strategic calculations and Kabul’s sovereignty concerns. For the U.S., Bagram represents not only a military outpost but also a symbol of its long and costly engagement in Afghanistan. For Afghanistan’s leadership, however, a renewed American footprint risks inflaming domestic opposition and undermining efforts to project independence after decades of conflict.
As discussions continue, the issue of Bagram may once again become a flashpoint in U.S.–Afghanistan relations, balancing security priorities with diplomatic sensitivities.