The Afghan Taliban have dismissed the idea of handing Bagram Air Base back to the United States, stressing that Afghanistan will never accept foreign military presence on its soil. Senior Foreign Ministry official Zakir Jalali, in a statement on social media platform X, said that while Afghanistan and the United States could pursue economic and political relations based on mutual respect and common interests, any form of military presence remained unacceptable. “Afghans have never accepted foreign military presence in their history, and this possibility was categorically ruled out during the Doha talks and the agreement,” Jalali said.
His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his interest in regaining control of Bagram Air Base, framing the idea as part of a potential “deal” with the Taliban. Trump has argued that the facility carries strategic significance not only for counterterrorism operations but also due to its proximity to China. He told a press conference in Britain that giving up Bagram had been a “disgraceful moment” for the United States.
The base, once the hub of NATO operations for two decades, was transferred to Afghan forces shortly before the Taliban takeover in 2021. The complete U.S. withdrawal was carried out under the 2020 Doha Agreement, signed during Trump’s first term, and finalized under President Joe Biden.
Trump has suggested that retaining Bagram would have been useful “because of China,” noting its closeness to sensitive sites across the border. However, a BBC Verify investigation found that the nearest Chinese nuclear testing site lies almost 2,000 kilometers away, contradicting Trump’s claims. Taliban officials have also rejected assertions of Chinese activity at Bagram.
A BBC review of 30 satellite images taken between late 2020 and 2025 indicated limited activity at the base following the Taliban’s return to power, with no evidence of a Chinese presence. On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Afghanistan’s sovereignty must be respected, and that the country’s future rests in the hands of the Afghan people.
While rejecting any discussion on foreign troops, Jalali clarified that avenues for other forms of cooperation with Washington remained open. Reuters reported that recent contacts between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives focused primarily on the safety of American citizens still in Afghanistan.
