President Donald Trump warned Afghanistan’s Taliban government that “bad things” would happen if it does not return Bagram Air Base to U.S. control.

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, bad things are going to happen! Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. He did not specify what actions the U.S. might take.

Trump issued the warning days after announcing that his administration is working to regain control of Bagram Air Base, citing its proximity to China as a key reason. “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.

On Sunday, chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed Trump’s claims and urged the U.S. to abide by the Doha Agreement.

“It should be recalled that, under the Doha Agreement, the United States pledged that ‘it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.’ Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments,” Mujahid said in a post on X.

Statement of the Islamic Emirate Regarding the Recent Declarations by the President of the United States
September 21, 2025
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

In accordance with Islamic principles and grounded in its balanced, economy-oriented…

— Hamdullah Fitratحمدالله فطرت (@FitratHamd) September 21, 2025

Defense Ministry chief of staff Fasihuddin Fitrat told Afghan media on Sunday that “a deal over even an inch of Afghanistan’s soil is not possible.”

Bagram, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Kabul, was the largest U.S. installation in Afghanistan. Built by the Soviets in the 1950s, it became the hub of American operations after the 2001 invasion and was used for air campaigns, logistics, and detention of thousands of prisoners. 

U.S. troops left the base in July 2021, weeks before Kabul fell. The Taliban seized it immediately after taking power.