In a breakthrough in India-US counter-terrorism cooperation, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Welcoming the move, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X: “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing the designation, said, “Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)… These actions demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack."
The MEA, too, welcomed the designation, stating: “The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard."
The statement reiterated that TRF, a known front for LeT, was responsible for the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were killed, and had even claimed responsibility twice.
“The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism," the statement added, reaffirming India’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
The US designation imposes significant legal and financial penalties on TRF and its associates, including asset freezes, sanctions, and immigration restrictions. It marks one of the most robust international actions against the group, which has also been implicated in attacks on Indian security forces in recent years.
India’s successful diplomatic push involved a coordinated, multi-tiered approach. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held crucial meetings in Washington, a cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Shashi Tharoor engaged in high-level outreach, and Jaishankar used the Quad Summit platform to press the issue directly with Rubio. India also briefed the UN Security Council on TRF’s role in the Pahalgam attack to build international consensus.
With this designation, TRF now joins the ranks of ISIS, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and other global terror groups. It also gives India a stronger footing in its efforts at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to expose and isolate state-sponsored terrorism emerging from across the border.
