On September 18, 2025, President Donald Trump reignited debate over the United States’ military footprint in Central Asia by declaring that his administration is actively seeking to regain control of Afghanistan’s Bagram air base. The announcement, made during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, signals a dramatic attempt to reclaim what Trump described as “one of the biggest air bases in the world.” The former president’s remarks have sent ripples through diplomatic circles and revived questions about America’s strategic aims in the region, particularly as they relate to China and the Taliban-controlled government in Kabul.
Trump’s comments come four years after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, an event that saw Bagram air base—once the nerve center of America’s two-decade military campaign—abruptly abandoned and swiftly taken over by Taliban forces. According to AFP/Getty Images, Trump lambasted his predecessor for what he characterized as the needless surrender of a vital asset. “We’re trying to get it back, by the way,” Trump said, emphasizing a sense of urgency and frustration with the previous administration’s handling of the exit.
Throughout the press conference, Trump repeatedly tied the effort to retake Bagram to the broader strategic rivalry with China. “One of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he told reporters, according to NPR. The proximity of Bagram to Chinese nuclear facilities, he argued, makes it an indispensable outpost for monitoring and potentially countering China’s expanding military capabilities. The Pentagon’s own 2024 report to Congress estimated that China possesses approximately 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States, with projections suggesting that number could rise to 1,000 by 2030.
Trump’s remarks also shed light on the complex diplomatic dance between the United States and the Taliban government. While the two sides have no formal diplomatic ties, they have engaged in negotiations over hostages and prisoner exchanges. In March, for instance, the Taliban released an American tourist who had been abducted more than two years prior, and last week, the Taliban announced a tentative agreement with U.S. envoys on a prisoner swap. Trump hinted that the Taliban, facing economic hardship and international isolation, might be open to a deal: “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.”
Despite these overtures, the path to regaining Bagram remains fraught with uncertainty. The Taliban have been clear in rejecting any suggestion that China currently occupies the base. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told The Guardian that the airfield is “controlled by Afghanistan, not China.” Nonetheless, Trump’s insistence on Bagram’s value as a regional foothold highlights how the airbase has become a focal point in the evolving contest for influence between Washington, Beijing, and Kabul.
For many observers, the specter of returning U.S. troops to Afghanistan is as much about optics as it is about strategy. Trump has consistently criticized President Joe Biden for overseeing what he calls the “chaotic” and “embarrassing” withdrawal in 2021. “We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity,” Trump asserted, according to USA Today. He further claimed, “We were going to keep Bagram, the big air base—one of the biggest airbases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing.”
Trump’s fixation on Bagram is not new. During his first term, he negotiated the peace agreement with the Taliban that set the stage for the U.S. withdrawal. However, he maintains that his plan would have preserved American control over the base, both as a symbol of U.S. power and as a bulwark against Chinese expansionism. In a February cabinet meeting after his re-election, Trump said, “We were going to keep Bagram… not because of Afghanistan but because of China, because it’s exactly one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles.”
Bagram’s strategic importance is underscored by its sheer scale and capabilities. The airfield boasts an 11,800-foot (3,600-meter) runway, long enough to accommodate the largest bombers and cargo aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. Its infrastructure, built from heavy concrete and steel, made it the logistical heart of America’s war effort for two decades. As The Guardian notes, Trump has even claimed—without evidence—that China was occupying Bagram, a notion the Taliban have categorically denied.
The broader geopolitical implications of Trump’s announcement have not gone unnoticed among America’s allies. Western capitals are watching closely, wary of any moves that could inflame tensions with China or destabilize the fragile balance in Afghanistan. Trump’s comments about Bagram, and his open linkage of the base to countering China, are likely to heighten those concerns. “His comments about China will alarm western allies, who have been watching the relationship between the two superpowers carefully, amid fears that heightened tensions could lead to further economic turbulence, and even military skirmishes,” The Guardian reported.
Meanwhile, Trump’s foreign policy ambitions extend beyond Afghanistan. In the same press conference, he expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “He’s really let me down… I thought it might be among the easiest of the group,” Trump said, referring to his initial hopes for a swift resolution to the war. He added, “We’re going to get it done,” signaling continued interest in brokering peace, though the path forward remains uncertain.
As for the practicalities of retaking Bagram, the White House and Pentagon have remained tight-lipped. Officials at U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense have referred all inquiries to the White House, and no concrete plans for a return have been announced publicly. The Taliban, for their part, appear to be weighing their options as they navigate internal rifts, economic crisis, and the search for international legitimacy.
Trump’s push to reclaim Bagram air base thus encapsulates the tangled legacy of America’s war in Afghanistan, the uncertainties of its relationship with the Taliban, and the ever-present shadow of strategic competition with China. Whether the U.S. will actually succeed in regaining the base remains to be seen, but the renewed focus on Bagram is a potent reminder that, even after withdrawal, Afghanistan continues to shape the contours of global power politics.