WASHINGTON/KABUL - US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened Afghanistan with "bad things" if it doesn't "give Bagram Airbase back".

"If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!" the president wrote on his Truth Social account.

Located about 50 km north of Kabul, the Bagram Airbase was the hub of US and NATO operations during the two-decade-long War in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of American forces in 2021 resulted in the Taliban taking control of the base.

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During his recent visit to Britain, Trump said that the United States is "trying to take back" the Bagram Airbase. The remarks have attracted widespread attention and sparked speculation about whether the United States intends to redeploy troops to Afghanistan.

On Saturday, Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States is in talks with Afghanistan regarding regaining control of the airbase, saying, "We want it back, and we want it back soon, right away."

"If they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm gonna do," said Trump.

Afghan officials have sharply rejected US threats to reclaim Bagram Air Base, emphasizing that any attempt to reestablish a foreign military presence would be met with unyielding resistance.

Mullah Tajmir Jawad, first deputy of the General Directorate of Intelligence, responded to calls for US retaking the strategic airfield by saying the Afghan government would preserve the current system.

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Echoing this resolve, Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid told media, "Our answer is, if you don't leave and want bases, we are ready to fight you for another 20 years."

Zakir Jalaly, political director of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed the notion of a US return, stating that Afghans have "never accepted foreign troops on their territory" and that any dialogue with Washington must exclude military reoccupation.