The debate over the Bagram Airbase has once again placed Afghanistan at the centre of global strategic calculations. U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed demand to regain control of the base, which the country abandoned during its hurried withdrawal in 2021, has triggered widespread concern and opposition across the region. What might appear at first glance as an isolated assertion of American military ambition is, in fact, deeply tied to Washington’s broader strategy of containing China and reasserting U.S. influence in a region where its presence has sharply declined.

Yet, for most regional powers ~ India, China, Russia, Iran, and even Pakistan ~ Trump’s move is seen as a destabilizing proposition that risks reopening old wounds and creating new strategic uncertainties. When the U.S. signed the Doha Agreement with the Taliban in 2020, it marked a turning point in its long and costly engagement in Afghanistan. Trump himself, who negotiated the deal, hailed it as a path to ending America’s “forever wars.” However, following his election defeat, the actual withdrawal was overseen by President Joe Biden, who completed the exit in 2021.

Advertisement

The departure not only symbolized the end of two decades of American military intervention but also left behind a vacuum in Afghanistan’s security architecture. Among the many consequences of that withdrawal was the loss of Bagram Airbase, a sprawling military complex that had served as the nerve centre of U.S. operations during the “war on terror.” Now, four years later, Trump’s repeated calls to “get Bagram back” have reignited strategic anxieties. On several occasions in 2025, he has publicly expressed regret over giving up the base “for nothing,” insisting that the U.S. wants it returned.

Advertisement

His statements have gone beyond rhetoric. In one of his posts on Truth Social, he warned that “bad things are going to happen” if Afghanistan does not hand over Bagram. The Taliban’s response was swift and categorical ~ they declared that not an inch of Afghan soil would be given to foreign forces under any circumstances, reminding the world that their resistance to foreign occupation is the cornerstone of their political legitimacy. The renewed focus on Bagram reflects not just nostalgia for lost power but also a recalibrated U.S. strategic outlook.

The base’s location gives it immense geopolitical value ~ it lies only about 50 kilometers north of Kabul and roughly an hour’s........

© The Statesman