Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected a call by former US President Donald Trump for American troops to return to the country and reclaim the strategic Bagram airbase, emphasizing that the era of foreign occupation is over and will not be repeated.

In a statement published on social media Friday, Foreign Ministry official Zakir Jalal said that while Kabul is open to diplomatic and economic engagement with Washington, there will be no permission granted for the US to re-establish any military presence on Afghan soil.

“Afghanistan and the United States need to engage with one another … without the United States maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan,” Jalal wrote, underscoring the country’s sovereignty and independence.

He added that Afghanistan is ready to pursue political and economic ties with the US based on “mutual respect and shared interests.”

Trump had said Thursday that his administration is seeking to “get back” the Bagram airbase, which lies just north of Kabul and was once the hub of US military operations during its 20-year occupation of Afghanistan.

“We’re trying to get it back,” Trump said, complaining that the base was “given away for nothing.” He stressed Bagram’s geographic importance, claiming it is “exactly one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles.”

Trump has repeatedly expressed regret that the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021 under President Biden, leading to the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and the Islamic Emirate’s full takeover of the country.

Bagram is infamous among Afghans as the site of a notorious US-run prison where thousands of men were detained for years without charge or trial under the so-called “war on terror.” Human rights groups documented widespread abuse, torture, and extrajudicial detention at the facility.

The airbase also served as the center of US airstrikes, military operations, and logistics during the occupation, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan retook Bagram in 2021 following the complete withdrawal of US forces, restoring control of the facility to Afghan hands for the first time in two decades.

Friday’s statement from Kabul sends a clear message that Afghanistan considers the return of foreign military forces unacceptable. Officials have repeatedly stated that Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.

Analysts say the rejection underscores the Islamic Emirate’s determination to prevent any repeat of the foreign military presence that defined Afghanistan’s last two decades, while leaving the door open for diplomatic and trade relations that respect Afghan sovereignty. (ILKHA)