US Boots Back in Afghanistan? Trump Eyes Bagram Air Base

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On UK state visit’s final day, Donald Trump signals US push to retake Afghanistan’s strategic Bagram base, citing proximity to China’s nuclear sites — sparking global debate, India’s caution, and Pakistan’s quiet alignment.

By TRH Global Affairs Desk

NEW DELHI, September 19, 2025 — US President Donald Trump has once again jolted the geopolitical chessboard. Wrapping up his state visit, Trump revealed that Washington is trying to “get back” the Bagram air base in Afghanistan from the Taliban.

Describing it as “one of the biggest air bases in the world,” Trump framed its value bluntly: Bagram, he said, is just “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

The comments, delivered almost casually as “a little breaking news,” carry the weight of a strategic bombshell. They suggest that the United States, after withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2021 and ceding the base to Taliban control, now sees reason to reinsert itself — not to fight terrorism, but to hem in China.

Analysts React: Expansion or Recklessness?

Strategic thinkers immediately lit up social media. Glenn Diesen noted that Trump’s fixation on Bagram stems from its closeness to China’s nuclear production sites. Indian scholar Brahma Chellaney pointed out that the US already maintains military facilities in at least 80 countries, yet “true to Trump’s expansionist bent,” it wants more — even in India’s neighbourhood, from Afghanistan to Bangladesh.

Others were more caustic. Trita Parsi reminded Americans that they had already spent $2 trillion to replace the Taliban with the Taliban. “The only thing dumber than that,” he argued, “is for the US to go back into Afghanistan.” Finbarr Bermingham distilled Trump’s message to its essence: securing Bagram would allow the US to “take out Chinese nuclear weapons.”

India’s Unease, Pakistan’s Calculations

For India, Trump’s surprise announcement is deeply unsettling. New Delhi has consistently stressed that Afghan soil must not be used to harbour or export terror. A revived American military presence could destabilize an already fragile region, heightening risks for India’s own security.

After the chaotic US withdrawal four years ago, India had cautiously begun re-engaging with Kabul’s Taliban rulers to safeguard its projects and people. Trump’s plan could upend that delicate balancing act.

Pakistan, meanwhile, may see opportunity. Relations with Washington, frosty for years, have thawed lately. A US return to Afghanistan could provide Islamabad with both leverage and bargaining chips: proximity to American forces, intelligence flows, and renewed aid possibilities. For a government squeezed between economic crisis and domestic unrest, playing middleman once again might seem appealing.

Lessons from the Past

The US military presence in Afghanistan was never just about Afghanistan. From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Bagram symbolized projection of power into Central and South Asia. Yet the legacy of two decades of American occupation is sobering: trillions of dollars spent, thousands of lives lost, and a Taliban stronger than ever.

To attempt a return now — under the banner of containing China — raises uncomfortable questions. Would Washington once again commit troops, resources, and political capital to a country that expelled it so recently? Or is this, as some analysts suggest, more rhetorical theatre than operational reality?

A Strategic Gamble

Trump has always framed foreign policy in transactional terms: bases as bargaining chips, alliances as deals, rivals as targets. His Bagram comment fits the mold — blunt, provocative, and calculated to signal strength against China. But if taken seriously, it risks plunging the US back into a quagmire that few allies, least of all India, want reopened.

The broader contest with Beijing will define the century. Whether Afghanistan becomes a pawn in that struggle depends on whether Trump’s words remain talk — or turn into action. For now, his “little breaking news” has already forced the world to imagine a scenario many hoped was buried in 2021: the return of American boots to Bagram.