Small Wars Journal: Four years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s regime faces deepening economic collapse, ethnic alienation, and persistent internal and external pressures. The United States now possesses an ideal opportunity to subvert Taliban rule and deny Afghanistan’s further usage as a terrorist safe haven. While the past quarter-century has seen overt investment
Afghanistan International: The funeral ceremony was held on Saturday afternoon in the Chahardangeh area of Tehran, where mourners gathered in large numbers to pay their respects. Several Iranian media outlets have criticised the authorities’ silence over the assassinations of Taliban opponents, describing the group as an unreliable partner. Some newspapers have also questioned Iran’s decision
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi December 25, 2025 Ikramuddin Saree, a former police commander in Afghanistan’s Takhar and Baghlan provinces under the pre-Taliban republic, was shot dead on the evening of December 24 outside his office in Tehran. Sources close to him and the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front of Afghanistan confirmed the killing, saying Saree and
Afghanistan International: The United Nations Security Council says Taliban opposition groups carried out 116 attacks between January and July 2025, but that the violence remains sporadic and does not pose a serious threat to Taliban rule. In its report, the Security Council said the National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed responsibility for 73 attacks during the
Afghanistan International: Australia’s Foreign Ministry has announced the establishment of an independent sanctions framework targeting at least 140 Taliban individuals and entities, aimed at holding the group accountable for its repression of women and girls. Australia is the first country to formally integrate a Taliban-specific sanctions system into domestic law. Click here to read more
By Abubakar Siddique November 22, 2025 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Tajikistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy in recent months to ease tensions and prevent armed clashes along their long, shared border. Tajik and Taliban officials have sought to deepen cooperation on energy and trade during talks. But despite inroads, there
News Line Magazine: This means that if Pakistan decides to throw its weight and experience behind the opposition, it could transform the fortunes of both Massoud’s NRF and Zia’s Afghan Freedom Front overnight. Their attacks would no doubt become more sophisticated and sustained. And with the right backing — not just a plush office in
Afghanistan International: In a statement posted on its official account on X, the NRF said the attack was carried out at about 10 p.m. on Monday in the Zanjir-e Charchab area of Khanabad district. The group said one other Taliban fighter was wounded. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, told an annual forum in France that Afghanistan has once again become a global centre for militant training under Taliban rule. He delivered the remarks on Saturday in Saint-Raphaël, in France’s Var region, at the “Meetings for the Future” conference, where he addressed
The Times of Centra Asia: Peaceful coexistence is turning out to be complicated for Tajikistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan. The Tajik government has viewed the Taliban as a threat since the militant group appeared in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s. But now that modest efforts are underway to establish some sort of amicable ties,