NCITE consortium scientists assess the expanding threat landscape of the more than 30 foreign terrorist organizations designated by the U.S. Department of State in 2025 and 2026.
In a new white paper series from NCITE, leading experts assess the threat posed by the designated FTOs in 2025 and 2026 with information on the threat actors and characteristics of the FTOs; the tactics, technology, and innovation they use to cause harm; and the types of targets they may attack, as well as the potential for violence directed or inspired by these groups within the U.S.
Why FTO Designations Matter for Homeland Security
Organizations must undergo a rigorous process to be designated as terrorist entities in the U.S., including a calculation of the threat posed by that group to the U.S. and our global allies. FTOs may continue to engage in directed attacks against the U.S., but they increasingly rely on a broader spectrum of activity, including enabling plots through training or material support, commissioning attacks through intermediary actors or groups, exploiting cyber tactics to disrupt or amplify violence, or inspiring individuals through propaganda and other second-order communication platforms. Examining the structure, ideology, capabilities, networks, and intent of FTOs informs how their operational models could affect strategies to secure the homeland.
About the White Paper Series
For this series, NCITE selected leading experts who have demonstrated academic contribution and extensive research on the new FTO designations (see the following page for a list of experts by white paper). Experts were selected using rigorous criteria to ensure their analysis has a strong evidence base when informing government, law enforcement, and policymakers. The criteria are as follows:
- Affiliated with a university research center specializing in terrorism or global conflict.
- Demonstrated record of high-quality research and peer-reviewed publications OR equivalent career experience in counterterrorism and national security.
- Published original research on the groups and region they were identified for, including contemporary research examining these groups preceding and following their designation.
- Experience in security and defense, to include research translation to the national security community for academics.
Iran-aligned militia groups
From the Red Sea to the Homeland Assessing the Threat from Five Newly Designated Iran-Aligned Foreign Terrorist Organizations
by Martha Crenshaw, Ph.D., Stanford University and Mackenzie Harms Wickersham, Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Omaha
FTOs: Ansarallah (Houthis), Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), Kata’ib al-Imam Ali (KIA)
In October 2024, Crenshaw recorded a podcast with NCITE on the history of another FTO, drawing from over four decades of experience researching in the counterterrorism field.
Haitian gangs
Beyond the Barricades: The Designation of Two Haitian Gangs, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
by Edward R. Maguire, Ph.D., Arizona State University
FTOs: Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif