President Trump said “bad things” will happen if Afghanistan doesn’t return Bagram Air Base to the United States. “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. ( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )( Donald J. Trump – Sep 20, 2025, 5:28 PM ET ) If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!! President DJT pic.twitter.com/sJAxMVp0dH — Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) September 20, 2025 More from Reuters: Trump said on Thursday that the United States had sought to regain control of the base used by American forces following the attacks of September 11, 2001. He told reporters on Friday that he was speaking with Afghanistan about it. The withdrawal of American forces in 2021 led to a takeover of U.S. bases, and the toppling of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, by the Islamist Taliban movement. Afghan officials have expressed opposition to a revived U.S. presence. Current and former U.S. officials privately caution that re-occupying Bagram air base in Afghanistan might end up looking like a re-invasion of the country, requiring more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defenses. “We were going to leave Afghanistan. We were going to leave it with strength and dignity. We were going to keep Bagram, the big air base. One of the biggest air bases in the world,” President Trump said. “We gave it to them for nothing. We tried to get it back,” he continued. “We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he added. Footage below: BREAKING: Trump says he wants to return the US troops to Afghanistan "By the way, we are trying to go back there. It is located an hour's drive from where China produces its nuclear weapons" pic.twitter.com/yA9dnggj2q — Megatron (@Megatron_ron) September 18, 2025 Afghan officials said it’s not possible to negotiate any part of Afghanistan’s soil. BREAKING Afghanistan responds to Trump. Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Afghan Ministry of Defense, responding to reports about talks regarding the handover of Bagram Air Base, stated: “It is not possible to negotiate over even one inch of Afghanistan’s soil.” pic.twitter.com/gRQNB7xhfX — Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) September 21, 2025 The Associated Press noted: Trump on Saturday renewed his call to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram, even saying “we’re talking now to Afghanistan” about the matter. He did not offer further details about the purported conversations. Asked by a reporter if he’d consider deploying U.S. troops to take the base, Trump demurred. “We won’t talk about that,” Trump said. “We want it back, and we want it back right away. If they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.” On Sunday, chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Trump’s assertions and urged the U.S. to adopt a policy of “realism and rationality.” Afghanistan had an economy-oriented foreign policy and sought constructive relations with all states on the basis of mutual and shared interests, Mujahid posted on X. It had been consistently communicated to the U.S. in all bilateral negotiations that Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity were of the utmost importance, he said.