Turan Research Center research fellow Hussain Ehsani spoke with Afghan International (Persian) about the differences between the Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and the Taliban, and which of the two poses the greater threat to stability in Afghanistan and the wider region.
The conversation drew a sharp distinction between the two groups. The Taliban now function as the de facto government of Afghanistan — a territorial actor whose priorities are consolidating control, governing, and securing external recognition and revenue. ISIS-K, by contrast, is an insurgent network with no interest in administering a state: its purpose is destabilization, mass-casualty attacks, and the projection of violence beyond Afghanistan's borders. The two also differ ideologically, with ISIS-K rejecting the Taliban's "Emirate" and the legitimacy of its leadership outright.
Listen to the full interview here.
Hussain Ehsani is a Research Fellow at the Turan Research Center.