US media reported on Sunday that Biden administration officials are in discussions with Pakistani officials to secure bases close to Afghanistan for future operations. The CIA had used a base in Pakistan to execute drone strikes against militants but was expelled out of the facility in 2011 as bilateral relations soured, Sputnik reported.
"While we have no basing agreements to announce, we know that Afghanistan’s neighbors share our desire to counter the scourge of global terrorism," the Defense Department spokesperson said on Monday.
The United States will continue to pursue options with partners and allies in the region, the spokesperson said.
The Defense Department is evaluating new basing options together with the State Department and the US intelligence community, the spokesperson added.
This is while Pakistan's foreign ministry has denied reports of a US military base on its soil and the Taliban have also explicitly warned countries bordering Afghanistan.
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