Ready to Fight 20 More Years Over Bagram Airbase: Afghan Govt

Kabul – The Taliban-led Afghan government has issued a strong response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent demands regarding the Bagram Airbase, firmly rejecting the possibility of returning the strategic facility to American forces.

Afghanistan’s Defense Minister, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, stated, “If the United States wants Bagram back, we are ready to fight for the next 20 years.” His remarks came amid growing speculation about renewed U.S. interest in regaining a military foothold in the region.

Read more: Bagram base retake might require Taliban consent, Trump hints

Senior officials, including Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Intelligence, Mullah Tajmir Jawad, and representatives from the Foreign Ministry, echoed the sentiment, declaring that Afghanistan will never tolerate foreign military presence on its soil again.

The unified stance marks a clear warning to Washington: any attempt to reestablish control over Afghan territory will be met with firm resistance, even if it means decades of conflict.

The Bagram Airbase, once the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan, was vacated in 2021 following the withdrawal of American forces after nearly two decades of war.