When President Trump announced during a press conference in London that he was in the process of trying to regain access to Bagram Air Base, it came as a surprise for some — especially judging by the look on United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s face.
But for those who have followed President Trump’s remarks on Afghanistan, his comments were not unexpected. On several occasions, he had called it a strategic mistake to hand over Bagram to the Taliban in 2021 and has even suggested that the United States should take it back.
On this point, President Trump is correct: it was a mistake for President Biden to abandon Bagram. The United States gave up one of the most strategically located air bases in the world. The way America slipped out — literally in the middle of the night without telling Afghan partners — was a national disgrace.
That said, President Trump also bears responsibility. His deal with the Taliban during his first term set the stage for America’s full withdrawal. President Biden could have changed course but chose not to.
And now the United States is left with a resurgent Taliban that controls more of Afghanistan than it did on the eve of 9/11 and an al-Qaeda and ISIS that operate freely across the country. President Trump now has an opportunity to correct Biden’s mistake and reestablish America’s position in Afghanistan.
At the press conference, he said one of the reasons Bagram mattered is because it is “one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles.” While this may be an exaggeration, Bagram’s strategic location in the 21st century is undeniable.
Within an eight-hour flight of Bagram lies roughly 85 percent of the world’s population and more than half of the Earth’s landmass. Inside this radius are many of the world’s major trade and transit routes, along with the bulk of its strategic resources: an estimated 75 percent of global rare earth mineral reserves, 70 percent of proven oil reserves and 65 percent of proven natural gas reserves.
For the United States, a foothold in Bagram brings major benefits in the era of great power competition. Afghanistan borders both Iran in the west and China in the east, while to the south lies Pakistan and then India. To the north is Central Asia, where Russia seeks to expand influence.
Bagram’s location has been important since antiquity. When Alexander the Great came through in 329 BC, he established Alexandria in the Caucasus where Bagram is today — so named because he mistakenly believed the nearby mountains were the Caucasus. In fact, they are the Hindu Kush.
The Macedonian warrior knew he needed a well-fortified outpost to govern his newly conquered lands, and the terrain made Bagram the best location.
For the Soviets, Bagram’s location was equally critical. Its proximity to Kabul and to the eastern part of the country — one of the main battlegrounds during the Soviet war — made it a centerpiece of their presence. Many of the facilities on the base trace to Soviet construction.
After 9/11, the United States modernized and expanded them, including a second 11,800-foot runway designed to handle even the largest and heaviest military transport aircraft.
This layered history underscores why Bagram remains one of the world’s most valuable airfields.
President Trump claims that he and his officials are already in contact with the Taliban. The Taliban, however, deny this — likely because of internal infighting.
Any hint that one faction is talking to the United States would raise suspicions among internal rivals. If an arrangement with the Taliban to access the base fails, the United States should consider all options to reestablish a presence in Bagram.
President Trump has shown, most recently with the Iran strike, that he will use force when it is in America’s interest to do so. President Trump should be bold, and the United States must act in its national interest.
After more than two decades of operations there, U.S. forces know the base and surrounding terrain intimately. It is worth noting that anti-Taliban forces such as the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, maintain a stronghold in the Panjshir Valley less than 50 miles away.
While reentry will be difficult and not without risk, it is certainly doable. Once reestablished, operating and defending the base could be modeled on the U.S. presence at al-Tanf in Syria, where a deconfliction zone ensures safe and secure operations.
Reestablishing a foothold at Bagram is about correcting past mistakes and preparing for the future. History shows that Afghanistan is too important to ignore.
Since the early 19th century, there have been 19 instances of American or European intervention in the region, whether militarily or diplomatically — roughly once every decade.
Nobody expects U.S. troops to return anytime soon, but nobody expected an intervention in August 2001, either. Should circumstances require America to reengage, it would be invaluable to have a presence on the ground.
Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute.
