ISIS-K growth in Afghanistan poses ‘serious threat’ to US, Europe: UN

KABUL: UN experts have warned that ISIS-K is emerging as the “most serious threat” to the United States, Europe, and regional stability, as Afghanistan once again risks becoming a hub for foreign terrorists, Khaama Press reported.

In a report to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, July 30, the experts said ISIS-K is actively using online platforms to recruit and radicalize extremists. They raised alarms over the group’s growing reach and its ability to inspire global terror attacks.

The report linked several recent terror plots to individuals radicalized by ISIS propaganda or those influenced by the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict. Experts warned that the presence of returning foreign fighters in Afghanistan and Central Asia could further destabilize the region and bolster ISIS-K’s influence.

Khaama Press reported that the experts described ISIS-K’s operations as having transnational ambitions, noting that it had even issued warnings of possible attacks on Americans.

UN officials also stated that ISIS-K’s expanding network and propaganda efforts now pose “the most serious threat” to Europe and the United States.

According to Khaama Press, the group’s growing reach and activities beyond Afghan borders are driving fresh international concern.

US officials have cautioned that since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan risks reverting into a safe haven for ISIS, describing the group as a “serious and growing threat” to international security.

As insecurity deepens, human rights groups have expressed serious concern over the growing number of executions of Afghan migrants in Iran, warning of rising injustice and lack of fair trials, Khaama Press reported.

According to Iranian human rights organisations, at least 85 prisoners have been executed in Iranian prisons in the month following the Israel-Iran ceasefire. The Hengaw Human Rights Organisation reported that six of those executed were Afghan citizens, though their identities and charges were not disclosed.

The rest included 15 Lur prisoners, 12 Turks, 12 Kurds, and six Baluch. Six individuals were also executed on charges of “spying for Israel,” though it remains unclear whether any of them were Afghan nationals.

Hengaw and other human rights groups say executions of Afghan citizens in Iran have sharply increased in recent years. In the first six months of 2025 alone, at least 40 Afghan nationals were executed, while 73 were executed in 2024, Khaama Press noted.

Iran’s broad application of the death penalty, including against Afghan migrants, has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights groups. They describe Tehran as one of the world’s leading enforcers of capital punishment, Khaama Press reported.

While many of these executions are reportedly tied to drug trafficking or political charges, rights monitors continue to raise alarms about opaque judicial processes. Trials often lack transparency and basic legal safeguards, raising serious concerns about due process for vulnerable individuals, including Afghan migrants, according to Khaama Press. (ANI)