"Why Trump Claims America Constructed Key Airbases in Afghanistan and Iraq"

Just over a month after the fourth anniversary of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Donald Trump has called on the Taliban to return control of the strategically important Bagram Airbase to the United States. Trump claims the U.S. built the expansive Afghan base, echoing a similar assertion he made about a major airbase in Iraq.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump warned, “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those who built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.” In response, the Taliban rejected any possibility of returning the base to U.S. control or granting the U.S. access.

However, Trump’s claim that the U.S. “built” Bagram is easily debunked. The original airfield was constructed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s. This isn’t the first time Trump has made similar remarks; during his first term, he suggested the U.S. would maintain a military presence at Iraq’s al-Asad Airbase to “watch Iran.”