US seeking control of Afghanistan’s Bagram air base given up in withdrawal, says Trump

“One of the biggest airbases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said. “One of the reasons we want the base is … it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

The remarks, tying Bagram directly to US-China rivalry, are likely to alarm western allies already concerned about escalating tensions between the two superpowers.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Joe Biden for abandoning Bagram during the withdrawal, arguing that its 11,800ft (3,600-metre) runway and heavy-duty infrastructure made it vital not for Afghanistan but for countering China. Earlier this year, he claimed—without evidence—that Beijing had moved into the site, a claim the Taliban rejected.

As per report by The Guardian, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has insisted the airbase remains under Afghan control. Reports suggest the group, isolated over human rights abuses and terror concerns, has been exploring ways to normalise ties with Washington.

The Soviet-era airfield served as the principal hub for US forces in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks, until the 2021 withdrawal allowed the Taliban to seize control.