Overview
- At a London press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Donald Trump said the United States wants Bagram back and highlighted its proximity to sites he says are tied to China’s nuclear program.
- A spokesman for the Taliban foreign ministry said contact with Washington is acceptable but insisted the United States must not maintain a military presence in Afghanistan.
- The White House has not said whether the Pentagon has begun planning, and Business Insider reported the Defense Department’s initial reaction to the idea reflected surprise.
- Media reports say Trump envoys Adam Boehler and Zalmay Khalilzad have traveled to Kabul in recent months for talks with Taliban officials, including on prisoner exchanges and other issues.
- Bagram fell to the Taliban after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal, and CNN has reported Trump has pressed his security team for months to find a way to regain the base.