Trump claims that if Afghanistan does not return the Bagram Air Base, “bad things” would occur

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, threatened Saturday that “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan if it did not return control of the Bagram air base to the United States. He did not rule out sending soldiers to seize the base.

“Bad things are going to happen if Afghanistan doesn’t return Bagram Airbase to the people who built it, the United States of America,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Trump stated on Thursday that the US had attempted to retake the base that was utilized by US soldiers. He told reporters he was discussing it with Afghanistan on Friday.

After American soldiers left Afghanistan in 2021, the Islamist Taliban organization took control of American bases and overthrew the US-backed government in Kabul.

Afghan authorities have voiced their disapproval of a renewed American presence.

Reoccupying Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan might end up appearing like a re-invasion of the nation, necessitating the deployment of modern air defenses and more than 10,000 troops, according to secret warnings from current and former U.S. officials.

For years, Trump has seemed intent on Bagram, having previously stated that he wants the United States to purchase areas and locations from Greenland to the Panama Canal.

In response to a question on Saturday about whether he would deploy American forces to retake the base, Trump said, “We won’t talk about that.”

“We’re currently in communication with Afghanistan, and we want it returned as quickly as possible. He told reporters at the White House, “And if they don’t do it—if they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m gonna do.”

Following the al Qaeda attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, the expansive airfield served as the primary base for American soldiers in Afghanistan for the next twenty years.

There used to be fast-food joints like Burger King and Pizza Hut on the site that catered to American soldiers, along with stores that sold everything from electronics to Afghan rugs. There was also a sizable prison complex there.

According to experts, the expansive air station would need a large number of personnel to manage and guard, and it would be challenging to secure at first.

Even if the Taliban agreed to the United States reoccupying Bagram after talks, it would still need to be protected from a variety of dangers, such as terrorists from al Qaeda and Islamic State operating inside Afghanistan.

Additionally, Iran may pose a threat of modern missiles, as demonstrated by its June attack on a significant U.S. air base in Qatar following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear targets.