KHORASAN

Implications of the Growing Activity in the region and consequences for the Security of Western States

Geographic and Strategic Context

Khorasan refers historically to a region encompassing northeastern Iran, northern Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia and Pakistan. In 2025, the term “Khorasan” is used primarily in militant and geopolitical discourse to denote a zone of instability stretching across the Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan tri-border area.

Key Conflict Zones and Dynamics

1. Militant Insurgency and Terrorism

• Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP):

  • ISKP remains the most active terrorist group in Afghanistan and has demonstrated significant operational reach throughout the broader Khorasan region.

  • In 2024-2025, ISKP was linked to major attacks in Iran and Russia, and continues to wage an aggressive insurgency against the Taliban in Afghanistan, challenging local and regional security. The group is identified as the primary non-state threat in eastern Afghanistan, particularly near the borders with Iran and Pakistan.

  • ISKP seeks not only control but also the destabilization of governance structures by targeting civilians, religious minorities, and rival militants.

• Taliban and Pakistani Taliban (TTP):

  • The Taliban holds power in Afghanistan but faces persistent attacks from ISKP as well as internal dissent.

  • The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has stepped up operations in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions (formerly Khorasan areas of Pakistan), often clashing with Pakistani security forces and threatening cross-border cooperation.

2. Sectarian and Ethnic Tensions

• In areas such as Kurram (Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adjacent to Afghanistan), longstanding Shia-Sunni tribal rivalries regularly spark violence, with heavy casualties and displacemen.

• Balochistan—a transnational region cutting across all three Khorasan states—is a hub of Baloch separatist conflict. Marginalized Baloch communities in Iran and Pakistan wage low-intensity insurgencies against Tehran and Islamabad, sometimes targeting infrastructure linked to Chinese investment (CPEC/Gwadar port).

3. Resource and Border Disputes

• The Helmand River and other shared water resources remain flashpoints, as water scarcity worsens and treaties prove ineffective; disputes between Iran and Afghanistan over river flow have recently escalated into armed confrontations.

If already signed in, go to your account at the top.