U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed pressure on his national security team to explore options for re-establishing American control over Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, framing the facility as vital to Washington’s long-term strategic posture.
Speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump confirmed his administration’s active consideration of the move, arguing that abandoning Bagram in 2021 was one of the most damaging consequences of the U.S. withdrawal. “We should never have given up Bagram. It was a disgraceful moment,” Trump said.
While Trump has not disclosed operational details, officials say his vision for Bagram extends beyond Afghanistan itself. The air base is seen as a potential counterterrorism hub against Islamic State networks, a listening post for monitoring Chinese activities in the region, and a possible gateway to Afghanistan’s untapped mineral wealth.
Reclaiming the base, however, would almost certainly require a new U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, raising difficult questions about the 2020 Doha Agreement, which committed Washington to a complete military withdrawal. There is no indication yet of any formal dialogue with the Taliban over the facility.
Trump has repeatedly attacked President Joe Biden over the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan, accusing his successor of leaving behind advanced U.S. weaponry and ceding strategic ground to the Taliban. His push to retake Bagram underscores both a critique of past policy and a signal that his administration intends to reassert America’s role in South Asia.
Analysts warn that while the move may serve U.S. strategic interests, it could also reopen tensions with the Taliban and complicate fragile regional dynamics involving China, Russia, and Pakistan.
