Overview
- The US State Department on July 17 added TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, citing its role in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre that killed 26 civilians.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio called TRF a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba and said the move enforces President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.
- Under the designation, US officials can block TRF’s assets, bar material support and prosecute associates under the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224.
- India welcomed the listing as a testament to deepening bilateral counter-terror cooperation, while Pakistan decried the decision and denied any operational ties to TRF.
- Intelligence agencies trace TRF’s origins to a 2019 rebranding of LeT, and India has been lobbying at the UN since 2024 to impose global sanctions on the group.