Preparations for the Taliban’s annual Aug. 15 military parade at Bagram air base have started later than in previous years and on a smaller scale, three sources, including two within the Taliban, told Amu, amid concerns over political fallout and financial pressures.
The sources said uncertainty surrounds whether the parade will go ahead this year. They cited the Taliban’s worsening economic situation as well as recent remarks by President Donald Trump, who, in many occasions, has sharply criticized the Taliban’s displays of US military hardware left behind during the American withdrawal.
In one of his speeches in February, Trump said the Taliban hold a parade every year and take the US military vehicles, adding that he “gets angry” when sees that.
The sources said Trump’s comments have made Taliban leaders more cautious in planning this year’s event. “This year they are making decisions with more care than ever before,” one source said.
Another factor has been financial. “Economic challenges are one of the reasons preparations have been delayed,” another source said, noting the costs associated with staging the display.
One source also confirmed that a Pakistani delegation advised the Taliban to postpone the parade “at least this year” to avoid escalating tensions with Washington. The Taliban, the source added, responded that they would allow a joint American, Qatari and Taliban delegation to visit Bagram to confirm that no foreign nationals are present there.
Despite the uncertainty, Taliban-run state television has launched a countdown to the fourth anniversary of the group’s return to power, to be marked on Aug. 15. In each of the past three years, the Taliban have held military parades at Bagram, showcasing captured US equipment including armored vehicles and aircraft.
Bagram, the former hub of America’s two‑decade war in Afghanistan, has become a centerpiece of Taliban anniversary commemorations since 2021. Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has gained access to the base since the U.S. withdrawal, an allegation the Taliban deny.
Mohammad Asif Siddiqi, a former deputy speaker of the Afghan Senate, said Trump’s policy on Afghanistan remains unclear. “I think soon, after the end of the Ukraine war and the resolution of the Middle East crisis, Trump’s agenda and policy regarding Afghanistan will be determined,” he said.
