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Afghan officials on Sunday staunchly rejected demands and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the return of Bagram Air Base, stating that a deal over "even an inch" of Afghan soil is impossible and that they are prepared to fight to prevent any foreign military presence.
The defiant response follows a series of statements from President Trump confirming that discussions are underway to regain control of the strategic air base and warning of "bad things" if it is not returned to the United States.
Multiple Afghan officials voiced strong opposition to the U.S. proposal. Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid issued a stark warning in comments to the media.
"Our response is, if you don't leave and want the airport, we are ready to fight you for the next 20 years," Mujahid said.
Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, echoed his sentiment.
"A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan's soil is not possible. We don't need it," Fitrat stated, according to local media.
Other officials, including First Deputy of the General Directorate of Intelligence Taj Mir Jawad and the Foreign Ministry's political director, Zakir Jalali, also dismissed the idea.
Jalali noted that Afghans have "never accepted foreign troops in their territory" and insisted that Bagram Air Base should not be part of any negotiations with Washington.
The Afghan response came after U.S. President Trump escalated his rhetoric.
On Saturday, he posted on his Truth Social platform, "If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!"
On Friday, Trump confirmed to reporters that talks with Afghanistan were in progress.
"We’ll see what happens with Bagram. We’re talking to Afghanistan. It should never have been given up," he said.
When asked if he would rule out using troops to regain the base, Trump replied, "We won’t talk about that... if they don't, you are going to find out what I'm going to do."
The Wall Street Journal, citing an anonymous U.S. official, reported that preliminary discussions are being led by special envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler.
Bagram Air Base, located 50 kilometers (31.06 miles) north of Kabul, served as the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan for 20 years before the complete withdrawal of American forces in 2021.
President Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the withdrawal, which he called "the most embarrassing day in the history of our country."
He has cited the base's strategic proximity to a site where China produces nuclear weapons as a key reason for wanting to reacquire it.
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