The United States formally designated The Resistance Front (TRF), widely recognized as a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on July 18, 2025.

This action follows the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, and for which TRF initially claimed responsibility before later retracting its statement as tensions rose between India and Pakistan.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, underscored that the move was a direct response to the deadly attack and aligns with President Donald Trump's demand for justice for the victims. The designation is a significant diplomatic win for India, reflecting the growing depth of US-India counter-terrorism cooperation.

The Indian government welcomed the decision, highlighting its alignment with India’s longstanding position that TRF operates as a “front and proxy” for the already-banned LeT, which is internationally known for orchestrating violent attacks both within India and abroad, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

China reacted to the US decision with a carefully calibrated stance. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the Pahalgam attack and asserted China’s firm opposition to all forms of terrorism. However, in response to questions about the TRF designation, China refrained from direct criticism of Pakistan or explicit support for the US move.

Instead, China called on countries in the region to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation and to work collectively to safeguard regional security and stability. This guarded approach maintains China's established pattern in regional terrorism-related diplomacy.

The designation of TRF is expected to reverberate within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), particularly in the 1267 Sanctions Committee, which is central to global efforts at sanctioning terrorist groups. TRF, as an offshoot of LeT, could potentially face further international action, such as asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes—measures already imposed on LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and key figures like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar.

However, recent history shows that efforts to designate TRF and other Pakistan-based terror entities at the UN have been stymied by repeated objections and procedural blocks from China, often at the behest of Pakistan—complicating international counter-terrorism efforts and frustrating India’s push for wider recognition of these groups as global terror threats.

Following the Pahalgam attack, the UNSC issued a strong condemnation on April 25, but, reportedly due to objections from Pakistan and China, any direct mention of TRF or LeT was omitted from the final statement.

India’s subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, marked an escalatory phase. The crisis deescalated after intensive drone and missile exchanges led to a ceasefire agreement on May 10, brokered through rapid diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan.

The US designation of TRF underscores a shifting dynamic in international counter-terrorism policy towards South Asia. While the move has been lauded by India and is likely to influence further international deliberations, particularly at the UN, geopolitical factors and the continued reticence of key regional powers like China suggest that a comprehensive, united response to terrorism in the region remains a challenging prospect.

Based On A PTI Report