DUBAI, September 23. /TASS/. Afghanistan will never agree to a deal with the United States on handing over control of Bagram Air Base, which was occupied by US forces until 2021, Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Al Arabiya.

"Bagram [Air Base] is part of Afghanistan. It is no different from any other piece of Afghan land. We will never agree to a deal or the transfer of any part of our territory. No Afghan will ever allow his land to be seized or come under foreign control – not an inch," Mujahid said.

Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s warning that "bad things" would happen to Afghanistan if it refuses to hand over the base, Mujahid noted that Afghans had already "endured 20 years of 'bad things' under US occupation." He added that Kabul is pursuing a "balanced policy" and seeks to develop relations with both the US and China.

From 2001 to 2021, Bagram served as the largest base for the US-led international coalition in Afghanistan. The US military left the base on July 1, 2021, and it came under Taliban control on August 15, following their entry into Kabul without resistance.

On April 14, 2021, President Joe Biden announced the end of America’s longest foreign military campaign, which began in October 2001. At its peak between 2010 and 2013, the number of coalition troops in Afghanistan exceeded 150,000. The withdrawal of US forces began in May 2021, with NATO and most combat units departing earlier in 2014. The Taliban launched a large-scale offensive that spring, swiftly taking control of the country. On August 15, they entered Kabul, and the remaining US troops completed their withdrawal by early September 2021.