The United Nations Security Council convened to review the international security threat from the terrorist group ISIL, also known as DAESH. Senior UN counter-terrorism officials informed the council that Islamic State and its affiliates remain resilient despite ongoing military pressure.
Officials explained that the group adapts using decentralized networks, artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, virtual assets, and unmanned aerial vehicles. They warned that the threat is most severe in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, while ISIL-K remains dangerous in Afghanistan and Syria requires constant vigilance during its transition.
According to the UN, terrorist organizations exploit weak governance, conflict, and organized crime, especially across sub-Saharan Africa. During a conference in June, the acting head of the UN Office Counter-Terrorism stated that Al-Qaeda, DAESH, and affiliated groups remain adaptable and resilient.
Security Council members highlighted risks tied to foreign fighters, online recruitment, and advancing technologies that exceed current response capabilities. Speakers called for enhanced international cooperation through information sharing, border security, financial investigations, sanctions, technology oversight, support for victims, and sustained aid to frontline states to prevent a DAESH revival.
National concerns and tech misuse
Ioannis Stamatikos, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece, stressed that the Islamic State threat requires continuous international vigilance. He expressed deep concern over terrorist activity in Africa, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, as well as the increasingly sophisticated misuse of emerging technologies. Stamatikos also reaffirmed the importance of maritime security and the central role of humanitarian efforts in counter-terrorism.
Tammy Bruce, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States, said her country's national counter-terrorism strategy released on May 6 identifies three priority threats: narcoterrorists and transnational gangs, traditional Islamist terrorists, and violent left-wing extremists. She highlighted efforts against DAESH, Al-Qaeda, and affiliates, praising member states whose operations reduced terrorist activity in Iraq, Syria, and Somalia.
Bruce stated that Iran and its proxy organizations continue to destabilize the Middle East beyond the jihadist threat, calling for expanded intelligence sharing. She noted that the United States has designated 20 cartels and transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere as foreign terrorist organizations since January 2025, adding that the US will not allow the region to become a safe haven.
Funding channels and drone tactics
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan, stated that numerous terrorist organizations continue to thrive in an increasingly favorable environment in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August 2021. He added that terrorism funding must be disrupted, including through encrypted channels like digital wallets, virtual assets, and cryptocurrencies.
Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, Chief of Office of the Deputy Secretary-General at the UN Office Counter-Terrorism, said counter-terrorism operations have disrupted DAESH senior leadership and reduced central operational direction, but the group continues to adapt. She noted that the threat remains intense in Africa's Sahel and Lake Chad basin, where affiliated groups expand their reach and adjust tactics.
Niyazberdiyeva stated that Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, remains the most active DAESH-affiliated organization worldwide and has shown a growing ability to acquire and use commercial drone technology.
