U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that Washington is exploring ways to regain control of the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, citing strategic concerns and regional security. The proposal comes amid renewed focus on countering China and ongoing tensions over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that the United States is working to reestablish a presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after Washington’s chaotic withdrawal left the facility in Taliban control.

Speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Trump called the idea “breaking news” and tied it to the need for America to counter China. “We’re trying to get it back,” he said, noting Bagram’s proximity to Chinese nuclear facilities.

While Trump has raised the proposal before, neither the White House nor the Pentagon has confirmed any planning. Asked later aboard Air Force One, Trump provided no details but repeated his criticism of President Joe Biden, accusing him of “gross incompetence” for abandoning the base in 2021.

Biden Withdrawal Still Under Fire

The U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, negotiated under Trump but executed by Biden, ended with the fall of Kabul, a deadly airport bombing that killed 13 American troops and more than 170 Afghans, and chaotic evacuation scenes. Republicans, including Trump, continue to cite it as a turning point that undermined U.S. credibility and emboldened Russia ahead of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump argued that under his leadership, the U.S. would have exited Afghanistan “with strength and dignity” while retaining Bagram.

Taliban Push Back

It remains unclear whether the U.S. has made direct or indirect overtures to the Taliban about reclaiming the base. Trump hinted that the Taliban, weakened by economic struggles and international isolation, might be open to a deal. “They need things from us,” he said.

But Taliban officials swiftly dismissed the idea. Zakir Jalaly of the Foreign Ministry said on X that Afghanistan has “never accepted foreign military presence” and would not do so now, though he noted that avenues remain open for political and economic engagement.

While no formal U.S.-Taliban relations exist, the two sides have engaged on issues such as hostage releases and prisoner exchanges in recent months.