Afghan officials have sharply rejected US threats to reclaim Bagram Air Base, emphasising that any attempt to reestablish a foreign military presence would be met with unyielding resistance. Mullah Tajmir Jawad, first deputy of the General Directorate of Intelligence, responded to calls for the US to retake the strategic airfield by saying the Afghan government would preserve the current system. Afghan Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid also said media if US don’t want to leave and want more bases then they are ready to fight for another 20 years.

This reaction comes after US president Trump yesterday issued a stern warning to Afghanistan, demanding the return of the Bagram air base to the United States. The Bagram air base, once the largest US military installation in Afghanistan, was taken over by the Taliban after the withdrawal of American forces in 2021.