Overview

• Trump renewed the demand on Saturday, writing on Truth Social that “bad things” would happen if Afghanistan does not return Bagram to the United States.
• Asked whether he would send U.S. troops to retake the facility, he declined to discuss specifics and said Afghans would “find out” if they refuse.
• Taliban defense chief Fasihuddin Fitrat said no deal over any Afghan territory is possible, and an official statement emphasized the country’s independence and territorial integrity.
• Trump tied the push to concerns about China, claiming the base sits roughly an hour from where China makes nuclear weapons, a public assertion not corroborated in the reports.
• No talks or U.S. operational details have been made public, and Bagram—about 40 kilometers north of Kabul—remains under Taliban control after serving as the main U.S./NATO hub until 2021.