New Delhi: The Taliban has warned it is prepared to go to war if the United States attempts to reclaim Bagram Air Base, a strategic military installation north of Kabul. This declaration comes as the group issues a stark warning to Pakistan, threatening to label it an “enemy state” for any cooperation with the U.S. on the matter.
This escalating standoff is a direct response to recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly vowed to retake the base. The Taliban, through statements from officials like Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, has firmly rejected the demand, citing the 2020 Doha Agreement which they claim guarantees Afghanistan’s sovereignty and non-interference in its internal affairs. The group’s position is that “not one meter” of Afghan territory will be handed over to the Americans, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
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The dispute highlights a volatile geopolitical struggle in the Af-Pak region. For the United States, Bagram is a highly valuable strategic asset due to its proximity to China’s sensitive Xinjiang region and its nuclear programs, as noted by the Times of India. Regaining control would give the U.S. a significant foothold for intelligence and regional influence. For the Taliban, however, the base is a symbol of hard-won independence and a key part of their national sovereignty.
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This diplomatic crisis has placed Pakistan in a difficult position. Already grappling with its own security challenges from militant groups operating across the border, Pakistan must now navigate a high-stakes choice: risk the wrath of the Taliban by assisting the U.S. or jeopardize its relationship with a major global power. The situation underscores the complex and fragile dynamics between the U.S., Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and its outcome could have lasting regional security implications.
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This latest development brings to a head a simmering tension that has existed since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. The Taliban’s strong public stance and Trump’s direct threats inject a new level of urgency and risk into a situation that had previously been managed through more subtle diplomatic and security channels.
