NEW DELHI: In a major diplomatic and counter-terrorism breakthrough, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The designation marks a significant victory for India in its long-standing effort to expose Pakistan’s use of proxy groups to carry out terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
TRF, which surfaced in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, has been widely believed to be a rebranded arm of LeT, designed to present the image of a homegrown resistance movement while shielding its Pakistan-based handlers. With the US officially recognizing TRF’s links to LeT, India’s claims of cross-border terrorism have received international validation. Top intelligence sources say the move is expected to disrupt TRF’s operations by cutting off access to international funding, crippling recruitment networks, and dismantling any remaining veneer of legitimacy the group held among vulnerable populations in the Valley.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing the designation on Friday, said, “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 April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, was twice claimed by TRF before the group suspiciously withdrew its statement—a move widely believed to have been orchestrated by Pakistan to evade international backlash.
Welcoming the decision, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hailed it as a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation,” emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. The Ministry of External Affairs also issued a statement thanking the US and underlining that TRF’s designation as a terror group reaffirms India’s repeated warnings to the global community about LeT’s evolving tactics and the continued threat posed by state-sponsored terror originating across the border.
This diplomatic win follows months of sustained backchannel efforts and global outreach by New Delhi. After China, in May, blocked TRF’s mention in a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) statement condemning the Pahalgam attack, India intensified its campaign to build international consensus against the group. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held high-level meetings in Washington, while a cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lobbied US lawmakers. At the Quad Summit, Jaishankar personally briefed Secretary Rubio, laying out evidence of TRF’s operational and financial links with LeT. India also submitted a detailed dossier to the UNSC, outlining the group’s involvement in multiple terror strikes, including the April 22 massacre.
The designation now places TRF alongside globally recognized jihadist organizations such as ISIS, Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab, enabling international law enforcement and intelligence agencies to take coordinated action. TRF will now face crippling financial sanctions, visa bans on its operatives, asset seizures, and tighter monitoring of cross-border transactions, severely limiting its ability to operate.
Importantly, the US move gives India a stronger platform to push for additional global measures. New Delhi is expected to raise the issue at the next Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in August, using the TRF designation to press for Pakistan’s re-entry into the grey list. India will also likely renew its efforts to have TRF sanctioned under the UN framework, now with the backing of a major power like the United States.
Intelligence officials say this is not just a tactical victory, but a strategic shift in how the global community views the Kashmir terror ecosystem. “This recognition dismantles the false narrative of indigenous resistance. It’s now acknowledged as part of a global jihadist structure that threatens not just India, but international peace,” said a senior official. For Indian security forces on the ground, the designation serves as a morale booster and a diplomatic weapon, reinforcing the message that terrorism in Kashmir is no longer seen in isolation, but as part of a broader international threat.
In essence, this latest US action strengthens India’s case on multiple fronts—counter-terror operations, global diplomacy, and international financial oversight. It sends a clear message: the world is no longer willing to turn a blind eye to Pakistan’s proxy war in Kashmir.
