Statecraft: al-Qaeda's subcontinent unit behind 2025 Delhi blast, says UNSC report

In this edition of Statecraft, the United Nations Security Council report attributes the November 2025 Red Fort blast in Delhi to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), highlighting concerns over the group's presence in Afghanistan and expansion into Bangladesh. Security has been tightened in Delhi ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations.

Meanwhile, a parliamentary search in Nepal reveals the government cannot locate the original 1816 Sugauli Treaty defining its western border with India along the Kali River, amid ongoing territorial disputes over Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura.

Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted India's growing interest in joining the Northern Sea Route, an Arctic shipping corridor meant to link Europe and Asia while offering direct energy access.

Other major international developments covered include Iranian IRGC advisor Mohammad Reza Naqdi discussing war attrition tactics against the US, former Pakistani minister Sheikh Rashid appearing alongside Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, and a 17-year-old Indian-origin teenager charged in Massachusetts for the murder of his mother and brother.