KABUL — Afghanistan’s interim Taliban administration on Sunday urged the United States not to threaten the country’s territorial integrity after President Donald Trump warned of consequences if Kabul does not return control of Bagram Air Base to Washington.

“It has been consistently communicated to the United States in all bilateral negotiations that, for the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,” deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat wrote on U.S. social media platform X.

He stressed that under the 2020 Doha Agreement, the U.S. pledged not to use or threaten force against Afghanistan’s sovereignty or interfere in its internal affairs.

Fitrat called on Washington to remain committed to its obligations and adopt “realism and rationality” rather than “repeating past failed approaches.”

Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of staff of Afghanistan’s armed forces, said “some” are seeking to retake Bagram through political means but insisted that surrendering the base was “out of the question and impossible.”

“Relying on Almighty Allah, we fear no one, no oppressor or bully, and we proved this through 20 years of struggle against occupation by the United States and its allies,” he said.

Trump, in a social media post on Saturday, warned: “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!”

Bagram, located north of Kabul, was the largest U.S. installation during the 20-year war in Afghanistan before the full withdrawal of American forces in 2021. — Agencies