The UN Security Council Monitoring Team’s 37th report (S/2026/44), covering June 23 to December 15, 2025, describes the global threat from ISIS and al-Qaeda as multipolar and increasingly complex, intensifying across multiple theaters simultaneously, with no single country or region constituting the sole epicenter.
Al-Qaeda’s leadership remained cohesive but isolated. Sayf al-Adl served as de facto leader despite growing dissatisfaction among rank-and-file members. The group retained ambitions for large-scale “spectacular” external attacks aimed at global media impact. It also continued to act as a service provider and force multiplier for affiliated groups in Afghanistan, particularly Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
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