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A senior Taliban minister has mocked US President Donald Trump's repeated claims about regaining control of Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base, saying the former American military hub would remain out of Washington's reach.
"Trump will get Bagram Air Base only in his dreams," Muhajir Farahi, the Taliban's Minister for Information and Culture, told India Today, dismissing suggestions that the United States could return to the strategically located base.
Bagram Air Base, a Soviet-built military airfield north of Kabul, served as the main hub for US-led forces in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The base was handed over when American troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, paving the way for the Taliban's return to power. Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States should have retained the base because of its strategic location near China.
Last year, Trump said: "We're trying to get it back. We want that base back," citing Bagram's location near China as the reason Washington should regain control of the facility.
Farahi also delivered a strong warning to Pakistan, saying Afghanistan would defend its sovereignty against any external interference.
"The Pakistan military regime has been given a strong reply. We will protect our sovereignty at all costs," he said, amid continuing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over cross-border security issues.
On Afghanistan's expanding engagement with India, the Taliban minister said no country could dictate Kabul's foreign policy.
"We have historic ties and connections with India. No one can dictate who should be our friend and who should not. We want greater people-to-people engagement and stronger trade with India, which is our neighbour," Farahi said.
He added that the Taliban government was actively diversifying its trade links after repeated disruptions at the Pakistan border.
"Our border crossings with Pakistan have remained shut, so we have developed new trade routes through Central Asia, Iran, India and China. We are strengthening these arrangements and will no longer remain dependent on Pakistan," he said.
Farahi also announced plans to establish a war archive museum that would showcase memorabilia from Afghanistan's decades-long conflict, including items linked to the Taliban's victory over the United States.
"We are collecting war memorabilia. It will show future generations how we defeated America," he said.
The remarks came as reports from the site of the Kabul hospital bombing highlighted one of the deadliest air strikes blamed on Pakistan. According to local accounts, the strike on the civilian medical facility killed around 470 people and injured another 240, triggering a sharp deterioration in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.
Residents at the site claimed the munitions used in the attack contained highly inflammable material in addition to explosives, causing widespread fires that reduced many victims' bodies to ashes. The damaged hospital complex remains a visible reminder of the attack and the deep mistrust that continues to define ties between Kabul and Islamabad.
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Published On:
Jul 7, 2026 16:10 IST
