President Donald Trump warned Afghanistan on Saturday that there would be consequences if it fails to return the Bagram air base to the United States.
“If Afghanistan doesn’t return Bagram Airbase to those who built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.
On Thursday, Trump mentioned that the U.S. had been trying to regain control of the base that American forces used after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He also told reporters on Friday that he was in discussions with Afghanistan regarding this issue.
The withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021 resulted in the Taliban, an Islamist group, taking over the base.
Afghan officials have shown resistance to the idea of a renewed U.S. military presence.
“Afghanistan and the United States need to engage with one another … without the United States keeping any military presence in any part of Afghanistan,” said Zakir Jalal, an official from the Afghan foreign ministry, in a post on X on Thursday.
