Taliban rejects Trump’s suggestion on regaining Bagram air base

Taliban officials on September 18 dismissed remarks by US President Donald Trump that Washington could reclaim Bagram Air Base, while signaling readiness for broader engagement with the United States.

“Without the U.S. having any military presence in Afghanistan, both Afghanistan and the U.S. need to engage with each other, and they can have political and economic relations based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan foreign ministry official, said on X, Caliber.Az reports.

ولسمشر ډونلډ ټرمپ پر بگرام د معاملې خبره کړې نوموړی تر سياست هاخوا بريالی تاجر او معامله‌کوونکی دی او د بگرام د بېرته اخيستو يادونه هم د يوې معاملې له لارې کوي.
افغانستان او امريکا يو بل سره تعامل ته اړتيا لري او کولای شي د متقابل درناوي او مشترکو گټو پر بنسټ اقتصادي او سیاسي…

— Zakir Jalaly - ذاکر جلالي (@zakirjalaly) September 18, 2025

“Afghans have never accepted the military presence of anyone throughout history,” he added. “But for other kinds of engagement, all paths remain open for them.”

Jalaly also described Trump as “a good businessman and negotiator, more than just a politician.”

Other Taliban officials reacted in sharper terms. Muhajer Farahi, a deputy minister, posted part of a poem on X: “Those who once smashed their heads against the rocks with us, their minds have still not found peace.” He ended his post with “Bagram, Afghanistan.”

The comments followed Trump’s statement during a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier the same day. Trump said his administration had been working to reclaim the former U.S. facility, which lies 25 miles north of Kabul and was the largest American base in Afghanistan during the 20-year war, The New York Times writes. 

“We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said. He added that Bagram was strategically important for the United States because “it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

Trump has previously criticised the U.S. decision to abandon the base during the 2021 withdrawal, but his September 18 remarks were the first public indication that talks to regain it might be underway.

The Department of Defense, responding to questions relayed by the White House, said it “is always ready to execute any mission at the president’s direction.”

Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, U.S. engagement with Afghanistan has been limited, largely focused on hostage negotiations. In a rare visit last week, Adam Boehler, the administration’s special envoy for hostage response, met in Kabul with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

By Sabina Mammadli