Trump Warns Taliban To Hand Over Bagram Or Face Consequences

Trump told reporters at the White House that that the US should never have left the base. His remarks came a day after he said at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that Washington was seeking to retake the base, once the hub of US military operations in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Taliban officials have rejected the prospect of any renewed US military presence. Zakir Jalal, a senior Afghan Foreign Ministry official, wrote Thursday on X that Afghanistan and the United States should engage “without America having any military presence in any part of Afghanistan.”

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that US officials are in the early stages of talks with the Taliban about the potential establishment of a limited counterterrorism presence at Bagram.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie, 76, were detained in February while returning to their home in Bamiyan, where they had worked in education sector for nearly two decades. Their release was mediated by Qatar, a British official said. The couple left Afghanistan later on Friday.

Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi confirmed the release in a post on X, saying the pair had “violated Afghanistan’s laws” and were freed after judicial proceedings. He did not provide details.

The Taliban previously suggested the arrest was due to a “small issue” or a misunderstanding involving allegedly fake Afghan passports. The couple’s children said no credible charges were ever produced despite repeated searches.

A British diplomat said the release formed part of the Taliban’s broader effort to secure international recognition.

Earlier, Taliban sources told The Telegraph the Haqqani network had detained the couple in a political move to pressure Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that Afghanistan’s future should be in the hands of the Afghan people and warned that escalating tensions and creating confrontation in the region is undesirable.

Trump said Thursday that the US wanted Bagram partly because of its proximity to China. He stressed that one of the reasons the US wants that base is because of its proximity to where China manufactures its nuclear weapons.

Taliban's senior foreign ministry official Zakir Jalali also reacted, describing Trump as a “successful businessman” and framing his comments on Bagram as part of a bargaining tactic.

CNN, citing three sources, reported this week that Trump has been pressing his national security team for months to find a way to return to Bagram, which was abandoned during the US withdrawal in 2021.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it hoped all parties would play a constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability, as US–China rivalry increasingly shapes their positions on Afghanistan.

In an interview with Geo News, Asif said Afghan soil continues to be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan. He recalled Pakistan’s involvement in the Soviet war of the 1980s and the US-led intervention after 2001, arguing that Islamabad is still suffering from their consequences.

Asif also said Pakistan expects its Arab allies to respond to militant attacks launched from Afghan territory. Without naming Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he accused some political factions of colluding with the Taliban and having “blood on their hands.”

‘Islamic NATO’ Proposal

Asif highlighted Pakistan’s recent strategic agreement with Saudi Arabia, saying he has long supported a NATO-style defence framework for the Islamic world.

He argued that Pakistan has been more exposed than most nations to regional instability over the past four to five decades. He stressed that It is the fundamental right of regional countries, particularly Muslim populations, to stand together in defence of their lands and nations.

He added that the deal with Riyadh does not prevent other countries from joining or stop Pakistan from pursuing similar agreements with additional partners.

According to the report, discussions on restoring American control of the facility began in March. Sources said Trump views Bagram as strategically important for monitoring China, accessing Afghanistan’s rare earth minerals, establishing a counterterrorism hub against Islamic State, and potentially reopening a US diplomatic mission in the country.

One source cautioned, however, that any such move would require a renewed American military presence in Afghanistan, a step that would conflict with the 2020 Doha Agreement, signed during Trump’s first term, which mandated the complete withdrawal of US forces.

It is not clear whether the Taliban have engaged in talks over Bagram’s possible handover.

At a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Trump confirmed the effort his administration is trying to take back Bagram Air Base.

Trump has frequently attacked his successor, Joe Biden, over the chaotic US withdrawal in 2021, arguing it handed Taliban control of American weapons, equipment, and Bagram itself.