U.S. President Warns 'Bad Things' Will Happen If Afghanistan Does Not Return Bagram Air Base

Sky News

Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that "bad things" would happen to Afghanistan if it does not return control of the Bagram Air Base to the United States, and he refused to rule out deploying troops to retake it.

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Air Base back to those who built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN,” President Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social on Saturday.

President Trump said on Thursday that the United States had sought to regain control of the base, which was used by American forces following the 11 September 2001 attacks. Speaking to reporters on Friday, he confirmed discussions with Afghan authorities on the matter.

The withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2021 resulted in the takeover of American military installations, including Bagram, and the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul to the Taliban movement. Afghan officials have since expressed strong opposition to any renewed U.S. presence.

Current and former U.S. officials have privately cautioned that re-occupying Bagram could resemble a full-scale re-invasion of Afghanistan, potentially requiring more than 10,000 troops and the deployment of advanced air defences.

President Trump, who has previously suggested that the United States should acquire strategic territories and assets such as the Panama Canal and Greenland, has long appeared fixated on Bagram.

Asked on Saturday whether he would send U.S. forces to retake the base, President Trump declined to give a direct answer, saying: “We won’t talk about that. We’re talking now to Afghanistan and we want it back — and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.”

Bagram, once the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, served as the central hub for American forces during two decades of war following the 9/11 attacks. The facility previously hosted restaurants such as Burger King and Pizza Hut for U.S. troops, shops selling electronics and Afghan rugs, and a large prison complex.

Experts warn that regaining control of the base would be logistically challenging, requiring significant manpower to operate and defend. Even if the Taliban were to agree to a U.S. return through negotiations, Bagram would remain vulnerable to threats from Islamic State and al-Qaeda elements within Afghanistan.

Analysts also caution that the site could face risks from regional powers, including Iran. Tehran demonstrated its capability in June when it launched missile strikes on a major U.S. base in Qatar following American attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Source: Reuters



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