US to host global meet on resurgence of far-left political terrorism

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 16, 2026 00:56 IST

The United States will host an international ministerial conference on Thursday to discuss what it called the resurgence of "far-left political terrorism" and to explore joint action against what it described as a renewed threat to society. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will chair the meeting.

The US Department of State said the conference will stress the need for deeper cooperation with international partners to better map violent activity, disrupt terrorist financing, protect critical infrastructure, and promote collective action "against a threat that respects no borders". Partners from the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia are expected to take part, though India is unlikely to attend the meeting.

In a statement on Wednesday, the State Department said, "Far-left political terrorism is resurgent, manifesting in violent terrorist acts across the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia and beyond." It added, "These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a deliberate, ideologically motivated strategy to destabilise free societies by violently targeting our political and economic systems, including attacks against private citizens, government officials, police and law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure around the globe."

The department said this threat has for too long remained a blind spot in the international community's counterterrorism focus and has been underestimated and under-resourced despite the danger it poses. It added that the US is taking a leading role in countering far-left terrorism. Since November 2025, it said, the United States has designated four violent far-left groups - Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/ Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI), Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defence - as Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

The State Department said it has also offered a reward of up to USD 10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of these four organisations. It added that in recent months the United States had engaged law enforcement, counterterrorism professionals and prosecutors around the world through direct contacts, as well as the inaugural Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Workshop in May 2026, which brought together 14 countries for a two-day workshop to exchange best practices for countering the threat of transnational far-left terrorism.

The department said the ministerial conference builds on that effort by bringing together partners from the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia to expand coordination, improve information sharing and strengthen international law enforcement mechanisms to counter the threat.

With PTI Inputs

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