"We Want It Right Away": Trump Warns Taliban Over Bagram Airbase

US President Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Afghanistan on Saturday, demanding the return of Bagram Airbase to the United States with an ominous threat of consequences.

"If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!" the 79-year-old president declared on his Truth Social platform.

When speaking with reporters later, Trump reinforced his position, stating, "We're talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back, and we want it back soon. If they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do."

#WATCH | On Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, US President Donald J Trump says, "We're talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back, and we want it back soon. If they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do."(Source: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/nje7BJwSXQ

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2025

This ambiguous threat follows shortly after Trump raised the possibility of reclaiming control of the base during his state visit to the United Kingdom.

Bagram, Afghanistan's largest airbase, served as a crucial center for US-led military operations against the Taliban, whose government was overthrown by Washington following the September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil.

The extensive facility has been the subject of serious allegations from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other organizations, which have repeatedly documented claims of systematic human rights violations by US forces at Bagram, particularly concerning detainees in America's "War on Terror."

Trump has frequently expressed regret over losing access to Bagram, highlighting its strategic proximity to China. However, Thursday marked the first time he publicly acknowledged working to reclaim it.

"We're trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We're trying to get it back because they need things from us," Trump announced during a press conference alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

US and NATO forces hastily withdrew from Bagram in July 2021 as part of a peace agreement brokered by Trump, as the Taliban regained control over parts of Afghanistan before eventually taking over the entire country.

Since returning to power, Trump has consistently criticized the loss of the base, connecting it to his criticisms of former President Joe Biden's handling of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Trump has also expressed concerns about China's increasing influence in Afghanistan.

Later on Saturday, when reporters at the White House asked if he was contemplating sending US troops to recapture Bagram, Trump responded, "We won't talk about that, but 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 going to do."