United States President Donald Trump has warned Afghanistan of “bad things” if it does not return control of the Bagram air base to Washington, raising speculation of a possible US military return to the country four years after its chaotic withdrawal.

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump avoided directly answering whether he would deploy US forces to recapture the site, saying only: “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 – if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m gonna do.”

Focus on Bagram

Trump has long expressed interest in overseas assets, ranging from Greenland to the Panama Canal, and has even floated the idea of making Canada the “51st U.S. state.” Yet he has appeared particularly focused on Bagram. Built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and expanded by US forces, the sprawling base 40km north of Kabul served as the main hub of American and NATO operations throughout the two-decade war after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The airfield once housed fast-food chains like Burger King and Pizza Hut for US troops and contained a large prison complex. It was handed over to the US-backed Afghan government in July 2021, just weeks before the Taliban seized power and US forces departed.

On September 18, Trump said Washington was “trying to get it back because they [Taliban rulers] need things from us,” while highlighting the base’s proximity to China. “One of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening,” he added.

Taliban Opposition and Global Concerns

Taliban officials have rejected any prospect of a renewed US military presence but left the door open for dialogue. “Without the US having any military presence in Afghanistan, both Afghanistan and the US need to engage with each other, and they can have political and economic relations based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Taliban foreign ministry official Zakir Jalaly wrote on social media.

Reports in the Wall Street Journal suggest US officials and the Taliban have discussed the possibility of using Bagram as a “launch point” for counterterrorism missions, though such talks remain unconfirmed.

Security experts caution that re-occupying the base would resemble a re-invasion, requiring over 10,000 troops and advanced air defense systems. They warn that even with Taliban cooperation, Bagram would face persistent threats from Islamic State and al-Qaeda militants within Afghanistan, as well as potential missile attacks from Iran.

Isolating Afghanistan

Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has remained largely cut off from international recognition. Russia is the only state to formally establish diplomatic relations, while Western governments have tied engagement to improvements in human rights, particularly the treatment of women and girls.

Trump’s renewed pressure on Bagram underscores Washington’s continued security concerns in the region, even as Afghanistan’s rulers struggle with economic collapse, terrorism, and natural disasters.