Kabul – The Taliban has rejected United States President Donald Trump’s demand to return the Bagram airbase, once the largest US military installation in Afghanistan, dismissing threats of “bad things” if the facility is not handed over.
Afghan Armed Forces Chief of Staff Fasihuddin Fitrat said on Sunday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would never compromise on sovereignty. “Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,” he said at a graduation ceremony for Air Force pilots in Kabul.
He added, “A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan’s soil is not possible. Afghanistan is a completely free and independent country, run by its own sons, and not dependent on any foreign nation.”
Fitrat reminded the audience that the Taliban’s fight was framed around ‘expelling occupiers’ and warned that reopening old debates over bases risked repeating the mistakes of history.
Trump’s Demand
Over the past week, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in reacquiring Bagram. “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 gonna do,” he warned.
Trump, who has strongly criticised his successor Joe Biden over the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, said the U.S. had given “Bagram for nothing.”
His remarks are part of a broader push to revisit US military posture abroad, a theme he has repeated in campaign speeches ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Fitrat’s Warning
In response, Fitrat said the Taliban fought until US forces were “compelled to flee.” He added: “Those who extend a hand of friendship will be treated as friends, but those who approach with hostility will find us their strongest enemy.”
Fitrat stressed that Afghanistan’s land and airspace would soon be fully secured under Taliban control, ruling out any “shameful deals” that dishonour the sacrifices of Taliban fighters.
Khalilzad’s Changing Narrative
Adding to the debate, former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad sought to dispel speculation about Washington’s intentions. “There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation about the future of possible security cooperation between the US and Afghanistan, including the use of Bagram for possible joint counter-terror operations. It is not my read that the United States intends to take over Bagram from the Afghans or annex it,” he wrote on X.
His comments appeared to dial back his earlier statement, in which he had suggested that enhanced US-Afghan cooperation, including the potential use of facilities such as Bagram, could not be ruled out.
Bagram’s History
Bagram, located 50 kilometers north of Kabul, has a long history tied to global power struggles. Built in the early 1950s with Soviet assistance, it became the key military hub of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during its intervention in Afghanistan. The base played a pivotal role in Soviet operations until their withdrawal in the late 1980s.
Decades later, the US revamped Bagram during its own two-decade war, turning it into a sprawling complex complete with retail facilities. It became the largest American base in Afghanistan, serving as a detention site where thousands were held without charge, many facing abuse and torture.
The Taliban retook the facility in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal and the collapse of the Afghan government.
![Once the largest US hub in Afghanistan, Bagram, less than 800km from China’s Xinjiang border, is now at the center of tensions as Kabul rejects Trump’s demand. [Courtesy: AP].](https://htnworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/7e3b52e7-db09-431e-b88e-96ffbca4b96e_e5eb8fbf-1024x683.webp)
