SaralnamaTrump's hope to 'take back' Bagram airbase was dismissed by a Taliban official. The Taliban's foreign ministry worker, Zakir Jalal, said the US keeping any military presence in Afghanistan was rejected during earlier talks. Trump had said at a UK press conference that retaking Bagram might be possible. He claimed it was important due to its closeness to China's nuclear sites. The US left Bagram in 2021 as part of a troop withdrawal deal. China denied having a presence at the base, and satellite images show little activity there since 2021. The Taliban stressed that Afghans have never accepted foreign military presence. (Updated 19 Sep 2025, 18:02 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- Trump's hope to 'take back' Bagram airbase was dismissed by a Taliban official
- The Taliban's foreign ministry worker, Zakir Jalal, said the US keeping any military presence in Afghanistan was rejected during earlier talks
- Trump had said at a UK press conference that retaking Bagram might be possible