Trump says U.S. in talks with Afghanistan over Bagram air base

U.S. President Donald Trump at The White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., 19 September, 2025.
Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. is in discussions with Afghanistan to re-establish a small military presence at Bagram air base.

“We’ll see what happens with Bagram. We’re talking to Afghanistan. It should have never been given up,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “There was no reason to give it up … We were going to keep Bagram.”

Located north of Kabul, Bagram was the largest U.S. base during the 20-year war in Afghanistan before the full withdrawal in 2021, which Trump called “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”

Trump also cited the base’s proximity to a Chinese nuclear production site as part of his motivation for seeking its return.

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