Trump Demands Bagram Air Base Return as US Explores Limited Presence

President Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that Afghanistan return control of the sprawling Bagram Air Base to the United States, warning on social media and to reporters that unspecified "bad things are going to happen" if the facility is not handed over and saying Washington wants it back immediately. The president said he has been discussing the matter with Afghan authorities and cited the base's proximity to Chinese nuclear facilities as a strategic rationale for reclaiming it.

U.S. officials say Washington is engaged in early-stage talks with Afghan authorities aimed at normalizing relations and exploring whether a limited American military presence could be re-established at Bagram. Those officials described the possible deployment as small and focused on counterterrorism work, and said it could include manned aircraft or drones, though they stressed plans remain under discussion and fluid.

Taliban leaders have publicly and emphatically rejected the idea. A Foreign Ministry official said Afghans have never accepted foreign military presence, and senior Taliban spokesmen invoked the 2020 Doha Agreement, under which the United States pledged not to use or threaten force...