We are talking to Taliban to return powers to Bagram, reports WSJ

(Bloomberg) – The US is in talks with the Afghan government about the return of military forces to the air base in Bagram, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, a day after President Donald Trump said he was trying to control the facility. The discussions with the Taliban government of Afghanistan potentially involve a small military force that can have a forefront of counter-terrorism operations, reports the magazine, referring to people familiar with the talks. According to the report, this presence may include manned aircraft or drones, which quoted a US official who characterized the talks as is still in an early phase. “We are trying to get it back by the way,” Trump told reporters on Thursday at a press conference in the United Kingdom where he met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump indicated that he believed the US had leverage to see the base return. Trump has long attacked his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, about the chaotic US exit from Afghanistan in 2021 that left the military facility in the hands of the Taliban government. Trump said the facility still has strategic value for the US. “One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So there are many things that happen, but I am very disappointed with the fact that one is not finalized, ‘Trump said on Thursday. Friday’s magazine report cited the discussions on the base as part of broader discussions with the Afghan government on the normalization of relationships. More stories like these are available on Bloomberg.com © 2025 Bloomberg LP