U.S. pressure and jihadi missteps shattered al-Qaeda’s ambitions, but the movement still persists in weak states and isolated cells.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
U.S. pressure and jihadi missteps shattered al-Qaeda’s ambitions, but the movement still persists in weak states and isolated cells.
As Western intelligence shifts focus to great power rivalry, resurgent terrorist groups quietly weaponize emerging technologies to build decentralized networks.
Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command lives in Tehran under IRGC protection; a weakened Iran must extradite him.