Taliban Rejects US Bid to Retake Bagram Air Base After Trump's Warning

Sep 22 2025 Staff Writer

The Taliban rejected US President Donald Trump's bid to retake Bagram Air Base, emphasizing Afghanistan's sovereignty and urging the US to respect the Doha Agreement.

Taliban Rejects US Bid to Retake Bagram Air Base After Trump's Warning

US forces transfer their main Bagram Airfield to Afghans

The Taliban government has rejected US President Donald Trump's bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump renewed his call to reestablish a US presence at Bagram, but the Taliban emphasized Afghanistan's independence and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. The Taliban's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, urged the US to adopt a policy of "realism and rationality" and remain faithful to its commitments under the Doha Agreement.

The chief of staff at the Defense Ministry, Fasihuddin Fitrat, reinforced the Taliban's stance, saying, "Ceding even an inch of our soil to anyone is out of the question and impossible." Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the withdrawal of US forces after the country's longest war. Despite no formal diplomatic ties, the US and Taliban have had hostage conversations and prisoner swaps.

Trump hinted that the Taliban might be open to allowing a US military return because "they need things from us." However, the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Trump's special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler, in Kabul, with details of the meeting remaining scarce. The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their takeover at Bagram with a grand display of abandoned US hardware.

The US and Taliban have had limited interactions, but the Taliban released an American man abducted over two years ago and agreed to a prisoner exchange. The White House did not comment on the meeting or results. The Taliban's stance on Bagram remains firm, with Mujahid stating that the US needs to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty.

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