AssessmentsDec 18, 2025 | 19:33 GMT
The Islamic State's Enduring Threat to the West
A spate of recent Islamic State-linked terror incidents illustrates the group's resilience and continuing ability to inspire supporters across the globe, as growing branches in certain countries may develop both a greater intent and capability to direct mass casualty attacks in the West in the coming years. Over the past week, authorities worldwide have linked a series of successful attacks and thwarted plots to the Islamic State. On Dec. 14, a father and son pair inspired by the group killed 15 people and injured dozens more at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, the deadliest terror incident in the country's history. The day before, an Islamic State-affiliated gunman killed two U.S. servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in an ambush in Palmyra, Syria. Meanwhile, on Dec. 16, Polish police said they had arrested an individual suspected of planning an Islamic State-inspired attack on a Christmas market, days after German police said
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