Rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan could escalate into a broader crisis or armed confrontation in 2026, the US-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) warned in a new report.
In its annual Preventive Priorities Survey, the CFR cited cross-border militant attacks as the main driver of strained relations between the two neighbours. While the report did not classify the risk of conflict as “high priority,” it said an escalation was neither unlikely nor inevitable.
