President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the United States is seeking to regain control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base, nearly four years after the full withdrawal of U.S. forces and the Taliban’s takeover.
“We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news,” Trump announced during a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.”
Donald Trump Cites Reason For Taking Back Bagram Air Base
Trump said the base’s location was a central reason for renewed U.S. interest, pointing to its strategic value near China.
“We want that base back… One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he said.
Trump wants Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan back under US control as it is close to China’s nuclear weapons production sites…
– Imagine the uproar if China spoke in this manner pic.twitter.com/j7fZsc8XJm— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) September 18, 2025
Despite the remarks, the administration has not clarified what specific steps, if any, are being taken to reassert control over the airfield.
President Trump Criticizes Joe Biden For Afghanistan Handling
The president sharply criticized the decision to abandon Bagram, arguing that it was handed over “for nothing” under the leadership of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“They just went through the Afghanistan total disaster for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said.
“We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity. We were going to keep Bagram Air Base, one of the biggest air bases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing.”
‘You Can Land a Planet on It”
Trump spoke about the sheer scale and capability of the facility, describing it in almost fantastical terms.
“It’s one of the most powerful bases in the world in terms of runway strength and length… You can land anything on there. You can land a planet on top of it,” he told reporters later aboard Air Force One.
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan began in March 2020 during Trump’s first term. A deal negotiated by his administration required all S. forces to leave by May 1, 2021.
However, President Biden extended the deadline, completing the withdrawal in August 2021. In the months leading up to the exit, open-source intelligence documented Taliban advances across the country, culminating in their rapid return to power.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
