In its latest report, the United Nations Security Council describes how the Taliban continue to hold power across Afghanistan, especially in major cities, while showing little concern for public consent or accountability to either the population or the international community. The group has reshaped education to fit its ideology, removing university subjects and rewriting curricula, which has placed deep and lasting restrictions on learning. The report notes that attacks by the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) have decreased. Yet, the threat from more than 20 terrorist groups, including Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, and al-Qaeda, still looms large. Al-Qaeda has even urged its fighters to return to Afghanistan. At the same time, the Taliban have dismissed thousands of Tajik and Uzbek fighters and treated non-Pashtuns in a discriminatory manner, steps that have helped them manage internal tensions and maintain unity. As a result, the authority of Hibatullah Akhundzada has grown stronger, and obedience within the group has tightened to sustain the Taliban regime.
Meanwhile, women and girls, minorities, and those forced to return to the country continue to face harsh conditions. The economy remains weak, more than 70 percent of the population relies on humanitarian aid, and nearly 90 percent live below the poverty line. The report makes clear that the stability the Taliban claim rests on widespread human rights abuses, internal repression, and severe limits on women’s access to education and work.
Attacks by the NRF and the AFF
The Security Council report records that between January and July 2025, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan claimed 73 attacks against the Taliban, while the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed 43. Although these attacks have not stopped, the report describes them as scattered and limited, posing no serious threat to the Taliban regime. The council also points out that in 2024, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan carried out 83 and 261 attacks, respectively, a comparison that highlights a sharp decline in violence in 2025.
Forced Returns to Afghanistan
According to the report, Pakistan and Iran have placed intense pressure on refugees from Afghanistan, forcing many to return against their will. These returns have cut off vital remittances that once supported families inside Afghanistan. The report states that since October 2023, more than 4.5 million people have been forcibly sent back to the country. It also explains that Taliban restrictions have made it difficult for the international community to assist those returning.
The report further describes how natural disasters, including earthquakes, have hit the country hard and stretched already limited resources. Drought has reduced agricultural production, adding to food insecurity. The Security Council warns that Kabul may become the first modern capital to face severe water shortages, a development that could threaten national stability. Cuts in international aid are making these challenges even harder to manage.
Stability at the Cost of Human Rights Violations and Repression
The Security Council stresses that the stability promoted by the Taliban comes at a high price. Human rights violations and internal repression underpin this calm. Economic pressures have grown worse as restrictions on women limit their ability to work and earn a living. The report notes that Hibatullah’s orders on education have further weakened the country’s economic potential.
Discriminatory Treatment of Non-Pashtuns
The report explains that under Taliban rule, non-Pashtuns often receive harsher treatment than their Pashtun counterparts. The council notes that the Taliban have dismissed thousands of Tajik and Uzbek fighters, especially in provinces with large Tajik and Uzbek populations. Budget shortages pushed the Taliban to reduce their forces, and most of these dismissals occurred in areas where Tajiks and Uzbeks made up a significant share of the ranks. After Badakhshan, the highest number of dismissals took place in Kapisa, Parwan, and Takhar.
Engagement and Travel of the Security Council Monitoring Team to Kabul
The Security Council confirms that its monitoring team has engaged directly with the Taliban. Toward the end of last year, the team met Taliban representatives in other countries. More recently, several members traveled to Kabul to continue these direct talks.
Continuation and Expansion of Hibatullah’s Authority
The Security Council monitoring team reports that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, has continued to consolidate power despite not being listed under Security Council sanctions. He has shaped governance along the lines of a theocratic system and selected Kandahar as his political center. By appointing loyal and carefully chosen figures, he has centralized authority and tightened control, further strengthening his position.
The Security Council also notes that Hibatullah has declared governance based on sharia and ordered the creation of Taliban councils of clerics in every province. Public executions of those accused of violating sharia have resumed, according to the report.
Despite internal tensions, the report says the Taliban leadership does not tolerate open debate. One of the main sources of disagreement within the group centers on education and employment for women and girls. Critics of the Taliban leader argue that these bans damage public trust, deepen international isolation, and carry long-term economic costs. However, Hibatullah and senior officials close to him reject these arguments.
The monitoring team concludes that the Taliban preserve unity by suppressing internal disputes and keeping them out of public view. The report also mentions arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani over their alleged responsibility for gender-based persecution. It remains unclear how these warrants will affect the Taliban’s pursuit of international recognition.
Intra-group Obedience to Hibatullah and the Absence of a Decision on Appointing a Successor
The Security Council’s monitoring and assessment team notes that even as several senior Taliban figures emerge as potential rivals to Hibatullah’s authority and continue to criticize his policies, the Taliban Supreme Leader has deliberately shaped a system that keeps the group disciplined and obedient. According to the report, his grip on power remains firm, and the group has made no move to name a successor or signal a preferred replacement.
The report identifies the deepest internal fault line within the Taliban as the divide between Hibatullah’s power base in Kandahar and the Haqqani network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, alongside Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the group’s minister of higher education. Haqqani is widely seen as favoring a more moderate path than Hibatullah. Yet, in the interest of preserving the regime, he continues to submit to the authority of the Taliban emir.
The report also points to the removal of Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the former political deputy foreign minister of the Taliban. After he openly criticized the education ban imposed by the leadership, Hibatullah ordered his dismissal and later issued an arrest order against him. Stanikzai left Afghanistan soon afterward and now lives in exile.
Indifference to Public Consent and the Use of Bans to Enforce Greater Obedience
The Security Council states that the Taliban have strengthened their control across the country, particularly in major cities. Despite this consolidation, their style of governance remains unclear and poorly communicated. The Taliban see no need to seek public approval or consent before enforcing their decisions. According to the report, they believe they are destined to rule Afghanistan and therefore ignore public opinion, while also refusing to address concerns raised by citizens or the international community.
The report highlights an order issued by Hibatullah to suspend internet and telecommunications services for 48 hours. Taliban authorities justified the shutdown by claiming that “immoral” videos were being shared online, presenting this accusation as the primary reason for cutting access.
According to the report, the Taliban have reshaped the education system in Kandahar and placed it under the direct and personal oversight of Hibatullah. Guided by their religious interpretation of sharia, the group continues to revise curricula at all levels of education, from schools to universities. In this process, civil values, human rights, women’s rights, women’s studies, and material produced by international institutions have been removed. In their place, the Taliban have imposed a narrow focus on their own ideology, anti-Western narratives, and loyalty to Hibatullah.
The report states that the Taliban have eliminated 18 university subjects after declaring them incompatible with their interpretation of sharia and political priorities. These include constitutional law, Islamic political movements, good governance, electoral systems, democracy and human rights, women’s sociology, moral philosophy, and other disciplines. An additional 200 subjects may still be taught, but only if they are rewritten to conform to Taliban interpretations.
Claims of Security Provision and Ongoing Security Challenges
According to the report, Afghanistan’s security situation has remained largely unchanged since the previous Security Council reporting period, yet serious challenges persist. The presence of terrorist groups inside the country remains the main concern, as it threatens regional stability and fuels tensions between neighboring states.
The report notes that the Taliban continue to deny the presence of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) within Afghanistan. While the group has carried out operations against ISKP, the threat has not disappeared and continues to pose both domestic and cross-border risks. Member states report that more than 20 international and regional terrorist groups are currently active in Afghanistan. These include al-Qaeda, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) or Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), and Jamaat Ansarullah of Tajikistan.
The Security Council also observes that the Taliban’s system of policing and governance has performed poorly, especially outside major urban centers. Corruption, weak accountability, and internal disputes among local Taliban forces continue to undermine effective control. Economic pressures have further complicated security efforts, forcing the Taliban to channel increasing financial resources into the security sector.
The Situation of Women and Girls, Minorities, and Officials of the Former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
The monitoring team reports that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan remain severe. Referring to UNICEF’s Afghanistan Gender Index 2024, the report notes that eight out of ten women are denied access to education and employment. Afghanistan now ranks as having the second-largest gender gap in the world. Estimates suggest that Taliban policies toward women cost the national economy more than one billion dollars each year.
Taliban Financial Situation and Narcotics
The report describes Afghanistan’s economy as deeply fragile. In the first half of 2025, gross domestic product fell by 6.5 percent, while unemployment reached an estimated 75 percent. According to the Security Council, more than 90 percent of the People of Afghanistan live below the poverty line, and over 70 percent depend on humanitarian assistance to survive.
The monitoring team reports that domestic revenue rose in October 2025, but Afghanistan’s ability to make international payments remains severely constrained. Informal remittance networks continue to play a major role, while the drug trade dominates the country’s shadow economy.
Citing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the report states that opium cultivation in 2025 remained low due to the ban and ongoing drought. Cultivation covered an estimated 10,200 hectares, representing a 20 percent decline compared to 2024. The report adds that opium production has shifted from southern to northern regions, while farmers’ income from opium sales has fallen.
The report further finds that high unemployment has pushed many rural farmers and local traffickers toward methamphetamine production. Taliban authorities claim they dismantled 1,400 drug production sites over the past year, including methamphetamine laboratories. However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports a sharp rise in methamphetamine seizures, signaling a growing risk that synthetic drugs are replacing traditional opiates.
International Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan
A) Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP)
The United Nations Security Council reports that the Taliban claim they have defeated Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan and argue that any remaining threats come from cross-border infiltration by the group’s cells. Despite these claims, member states continue to view ISKP as the most serious terrorist threat originating from Afghanistan. According to the Security Council’s monitoring team, ISIS still has both the intent and the capacity to carry out external operations, with attacks focused on Shiite communities, the Taliban, and foreign nationals. The suicide attack on 11 December 2024 that killed Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, the Taliban’s former minister for refugees and returnees, and for which ISIS claimed responsibility, clearly shows that the group remains operational and dangerous inside the country.
The report highlights that Sanaullah Ghafari, the leader of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), remains active and continues to shape the group’s recruitment strategy. Two senior figures known as Abu Munzir and Kaka Yunus have recruited about 600 volunteers from Central Asia, mainly from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Some of these recruits have moved to Afghanistan, others have stayed in their home countries, and a number have been sent onward to Europe. Many are young people who were drawn in through online religious discussions that gradually pushed them toward radical views.
The Security Council estimates the number of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) fighters at around 2,000. According to the report, the group seeks global attention through high-profile attacks to attract new members and secure funding. It also notes that Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) has begun using artificial intelligence to develop instructions for building improvised explosive devices and to produce weapon parts with three-dimensional printers.
The report states that leadership within Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) remains largely in the hands of Afghan Pashtuns, while many of the fighters come from Central Asian countries. The council adds that ISIS has set up religious schools in several parts of Afghanistan, where it provides ideological and suicide training to children, especially those under the age of 14. These schools and training programs operate mainly in northern Afghanistan and in areas close to the Pakistan border.
According to the Security Council’s monitoring and assessment committee, Islamic State – Khorasan Province now works mostly through small and mobile cells, while maintaining a presence in northern and eastern Afghanistan. Since the start of 2025, the Taliban have launched several counterterrorism operations against the group and have described these efforts as successful. Even so, the report points to continued ISKP attacks, growing propaganda activities, steady recruitment, and ongoing concerns about the group’s ability to infiltrate Taliban ranks.
The report explains that the exact sources of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP)’s funding remain unclear. Interviews with detainees show that the group has access to laptops, mobile phones, and regular food supplies for its members. Financial donations, kidnappings for ransom that target local traders, and the use of cryptocurrencies also appear to play a role in sustaining the group.
B) Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
The Security Council’s monitoring team reports that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stepped up its attacks during the reporting period, mainly targeting Pakistan’s army and state institutions. These repeated attacks represent the most serious short-term threat to the stability of the Taliban authorities. The report notes that long-standing historical ties make it unlikely that the Taliban will take concrete action against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Even if they chose to do so, they would likely lack the capacity to confront the group effectively.
According to the report, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has around 6,000 fighters. It also states that Noor Wali Mehsud, the group’s leader, spent time in Kabul and visited Kandahar, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Paktia in the spring of 2025.
C) al-Qaeda
The Security Council’s monitoring team says that al-Qaeda’s status, strength, and position in Afghanistan remain unchanged from previous reports. The Taliban continue to host and support the group, and senior al-Qaeda commanders continue to live in Kabul.
The report notes that in the summer of 2024, Saif al-Adl, the leader of al-Qaeda, described Afghanistan as a haven and urged loyal members to travel there for training and experience. It also points out that al-Qaeda has focused on improving its technical skills and increasing the payload capacity of its drones, obtaining related equipment and technology through the black market and through channels that appear legal.
Implementation of Sanctions and Travel Exemptions
According to the report, sanctions, asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo apply to 135 individuals and five Taliban entities. The monitoring team confirmed that by the end of October 2025, at least 58 sanctioned Taliban figures were closely linked to the current leadership and were serving in senior military or advisory roles.
During the reporting period from May 2024 to 11 November 2025, the committee approved 38 requests for travel ban exemptions. These included four requests for medical treatment, nine for travel related to the Hajj pilgrimage, 21 for participation in international meetings, and eight for bilateral consultations.
The report adds that 11 member states approved these 38 travel exemption requests. Destinations included China, India, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban foreign minister, received the highest number of exemptions with nine approvals. Abdul Latif Mansoor, the minister of water and energy, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy head of the Taliban’s Council of Ministers, and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s economic deputy, each received four exemptions. Khairullah Khairkhwa, Noor Mohammad Saqib, Hamidullah Akhund, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Hedayatullah Badri, and Sirajuddin Haqqani each received three.
Arms Embargoes
The United Nations Security Council monitoring team reports that member states have observed various groups obtaining modern and advanced weapons through cross-border smuggling and the black market. Taliban authorities understand the growing importance of drones in military operations and have tried to expand their capabilities in this area to create a low-cost air force.
The report also notes that clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan have led to the closure of border crossings, costing Afghanistan about one million dollars each day. It warns that if core issues remain unresolved, tensions could escalate into direct military confrontation between Pakistan and the Taliban. The report concludes that Afghanistan continues to be a source of regional insecurity and that the Taliban, despite internal repression, remain unwilling or unable to cut their ties with terrorist groups.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
گزارش شورای امنیت؛ طالبان بیتوجه به مردم و میزبان بیش از ۲۰ گروه تروریستی
