POLITICS — June 18, 2026
Trump Says US May Reclaim Military Equipment Left in Afghanistan
The US president made the remarks on the sidelines of the G7 summit while arguing that any recovery effort would now be largely symbolic due to the equipment's age.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Ariana News — corroborated by Hasht-e Subh, Khaama Press and Omid Radio — 2 min read
US President Donald Trump stated that the United States may reclaim military equipment left in Afghanistan after the 2021 withdrawal. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
Trump criticized the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal, describing it as hasty and dishonorable. He said that if he had overseen the process, US forces would have withdrawn with honor and retrieved all equipment.
Trump noted that much of the remaining gear is now outdated, making any recovery effort largely symbolic. US Department of Defense estimates have placed the value of the equipment at more than seven billion dollars.
The equipment remained in Afghanistan following the collapse of the previous Afghan government. An Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan spokesman has described related US demands as emotional statements.
Read the original reporting at Ariana News →
Reliability assessment
4 independent sources corroborate the core event of Trump's statement at the G7 summit with consistent details on his remarks, criticism of Biden, and equipment value; on-record attribution from a named public figure (Trump) makes the fact of the statement verifiable regardless of topic sensitivity.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Ariana News: "hasty", "emotional statements", "prevented Afghanistan from progressing" — these phrases introduce opinionated judgment on the withdrawal process, the US demands, and the 20-year involvement, mixing factual reporting with evaluative language.; Khaama Press: "criticized the Biden administration’s handling", "described the evacuation as chaotic" — these phrases introduce opinionated political framing and value judgments into the reporting.; Omid Radio: "shameful retreat", "in the wrong way", "with honor and pride" — these phrases frame the withdrawal negatively and contrast it with an idealized alternative, mixing reporting with opinionated judgment.
Across the newsrooms
Where reports agree
- Trump publicly stated at the G7 summit that the US might recover military equipment left in Afghanistan post-2021 withdrawal.
- Trump criticized the Biden administration's withdrawal as lacking dignity and honor, claiming he would have removed all equipment.
- The equipment recovery is described as largely symbolic because it is now old/outdated.
- US DoD estimates place the value of left-behind equipment at approximately $7 billion or more.
- The equipment largely ended up with the Taliban after the fall of the previous Afghan government.
Where reports differ
- Exact reported value of equipment varies slightly ($7.12 billion in Ariana News vs. more than $7 billion in Hasht-e Subh and Khaama Press).
- Details on Taliban/Islamic Emirate response: Ariana News provides a detailed Mujahid quote calling demands emotional; Omid Radio notes previous 'imaginary' description and states no current response; Hasht-e Subh and Khaama Press omit any Taliban response.
Filed by 4 outlets
Ariana News
Originating
Framed
Framed
Hasht-e Subh
Reported straight
Reported straight
Khaama Press
Framed
Framed
Omid Radio
Framed
Framed
Filed under
Politics — Donald Trump, Afghanistan, G7 summit, US military equipment, Biden administration
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