US Raises Afghanistan to Level 4, Citing Terror Networks

DID Press: US Department of State placed Afghanistan under its highest travel advisory—Level 4, “Do Not Travel”—a move that, alongside international security assessments, has intensified concerns that the country is becoming a sustained hub for terrorist networks, facing deeper political isolation under Taliban rule.

According to an analytical report by Eurasia Review, the US issued the Level 4 advisory on 1 February 2026, citing severe security risks and Washington’s sharply limited capacity to assist its citizens inside Afghanistan.

Analysts say the measure goes beyond a routine administrative decision, reflecting a fresh geopolitical assessment that portrays Afghanistan as a high-risk, unstable environment lacking effective protection mechanisms for foreign nationals.

The warning aligns with findings by the monitoring team of the UNSC, which reported the presence of around 13,000 foreign fighters in Afghanistan and the activity of more than 20 terrorist groups with varying degrees of operational freedom.

Among the groups cited are Al-Qaeda, Islamic State Khorasan Province, and Tehrik-i-Taliban PakistanEurasia Review analysis highlights Taliban governance practices that international bodies say impose sweeping religious and social restrictions. The group’s legal framework recognizes only the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, effectively depriving religious and sectarian minorities of many legal rights.

The report further cites public punishments, broad social restrictions and the systematic exclusion of women from education and public life, concluding that these trends are pushing Afghanistan deeper into global isolation and internal instability.