US President Donald Trump has said he is in talks with the Taliban to bring Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan back under American control, calling the decision to abandon the site a mistake.
“We should have never given it up,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The remarks came a day after Trump said the US wants to take back the base that was central to its operations after the 9/11 attacks.
Trump again criticised the Joe Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, describing it as a “total disaster”.
“We gave it [Bagram Airfield] to them for nothing,” he said, adding, “We want that base back.”
The airfield, located about an hour north of Kabul, was taken over by the Taliban after the US exit.
A Vital Stronghold
Bagram Airfield was for years the epicentre of US military operations in Afghanistan. At its peak in 2012, the vast compound hosted more than one lakh American troops, NBC News reported.
With its extensive runways and heavy-duty infrastructure, it became the primary hub for combat missions, logistics and intelligence gathering in the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Trump has highlighted the airfield's strategic value, not only for military reach but also to monitor America's rival superpower, China.
“It's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he said, a day before speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of ongoing trade negotiations.
Later, while on board Air Force One, Trump highlighted Bagram's exceptional runway capacity and strength, noting its ability to accommodate even the largest aircraft.
Importance Beyond China
According to CNN, internal discussions about bringing Bagram back under US control began as early as March 2025. Sources told the network that Trump and his senior national security advisers see the base as essential for several reasons.
One of those is to keep a watch on China, whose border lies less than 500 miles away. The other reasons include securing access to Afghanistan's rare earth mineral deposits, re-establishing a counterterrorism hub targeting ISIS and potentially to reopen a diplomatic mission.
Trump hinted that Washington holds bargaining power with the Taliban. “We're trying to get it back because (the Taliban) need things from us,” he said.
Countering Regional Threats
China's rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal adds to the urgency. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based nonprofit, estimates Beijing now has around 600 nuclear warheads.
For Washington, regaining Bagram would not only strengthen surveillance of Chinese military activity but also provide a critical launch point for counterterrorism operations across South and Central Asia.
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