In May, China supported Pakistan to prevent The Resistance Front (TRF) from being named in the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) press statement after the deadly Pahalgam attack. This move helped Pakistan avoid global attention on TRF.
India’s Diplomatic Win Over Pakistan
However, on Thursday, India turned the situation in its favour through strong diplomatic efforts. The US State Department officially designated TRF as a global terrorist organisation. This decision is seen as a significant diplomatic victory for India over Pakistan.
India Plans to Push for UN Sanctions
With the US now recognising TRF as a terrorist group, India may press the UNSC to impose sanctions against the group. India has long called TRF a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a well-known Pakistan-based terror outfit.
Pakistan Tried to Block US Move
Sources in the Indian government revealed that Pakistan lobbied hard to stop the US from designating TRF. Pakistan even made TRF withdraw its initial claim of responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. However, this tactic failed to convince the US.
Jaishankar Thanks US for Support
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar welcomed the US decision. He thanked the US for listing TRF as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Jaishankar said, “Zero tolerance for terrorism,” and called the US action a “strong affirmation” of India-US cooperation in fighting terrorism.
A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025
Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the…
TRF Linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba
India argues that Lashkar-e-Taiba created TRF as its proxy to avoid direct links to terror attacks. India has raised this issue many times before the UNSC. TRF initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack but later retracted its statement, possibly to protect Pakistan from global backlash.
Pakistan, China Blocked TRF Mention in May
Earlier, Pakistan, with China’s support, managed to stop TRF from being named in the UNSC’s statement after the April attack. But India’s sustained diplomatic efforts resulted in the US decision to designate TRF as a terrorist group.
US Secretary of State Confirms Designation
On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the move. He 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).”
Rubio added, “These actions taken by the Department of State 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.”