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The Trump administration is convening officials from roughly 65 countries Thursday to build an international coalition against violent far-left extremist groups, arguing the organizations have become a leading transnational terrorism threat.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host representatives from the foreign delegations for discussions focused on expanding intelligence sharing, law enforcement cooperation and other international efforts to counter what administration officials describe as an increasingly transnational network of violent far-left extremist organizations.
Administration officials said the ministerial is the culmination of an eight-month diplomatic effort to convince foreign governments that violent far-left extremist networks have become a growing cross-border threat requiring greater international coordination.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host representatives from the foreign delegations for discussions focused on expanding intelligence sharing, law enforcement cooperation and other international efforts to counter what administration officials describe as an increasingly transnational network of violent far-left extremist organizations. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP)
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The initiative comes as some analysts and foreign officials have questioned whether violent far-left groups constitute a cohesive international terrorism threat comparable to Islamist extremist organizations. Others have raised concerns governments could use such initiatives to target political opponents under the banner of counterterrorism.
Administration officials rejected those concerns Wednesday, arguing the effort is narrowly focused on criminal and terrorist violence rather than political beliefs.
“We haven’t waded into trying to disambiguate people’s beliefs and ideologies,” a senior State Department official told reporters. “In America, you can believe anything you want. The minute that you cross the legal threshold, that changes.”
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Officials argue governments spent much of the past two decades concentrating on jihadist terrorism while underestimating what they describe as a resurgence of politically motivated violence from violent far-left extremist networks operating across borders.
“This has been a blind spot for a lot of our partners, frankly. They have not seen these trends … since the 1970s,” the senior State Department official said. “Our partners have talked to us about the rise of assassinations or assassination plots.”
Burned out cars, after attackers firebombed three residential buildings linked to Greece’s governing party in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, July 1, 2026. (Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters)
Administration officials pointed to a series of recent attacks in Europe that they argue underscore the need for greater international cooperation.
On July 1, coordinated firebomb attacks targeted the homes of members of Greece’s governing New Democracy party in Thessaloniki, killing the mother of parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora and injuring four others. Greek anti-terrorism police later arrested three suspects.
In January, an arson attack on a power transmission facility in Berlin, Germany, knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. German authorities later transferred the investigation to the federal prosecutor over suspected involvement by a terrorist organization.
The meeting builds on a series of actions the administration has taken since late 2025, including designating four foreign far-left organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, along with offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of their financial networks.
Rubio is expected to argue that violent far-left extremist groups increasingly operate across borders, sharing tactics, coordinating attacks and exploiting international conflicts to recruit followers, making greater cooperation among governments essential to disrupting the threat.
Protest Marks Second Anniversary of Tragic 2023 Train Collision Clashes erupt between protesters and riot police during a demonstration marking the second anniversary of the 2023 train collision that results in 57 deaths in Athens, Greece, on February 28, 2025. (Dimitris Lampropoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also are expected to address the ministerial, which will include discussions on the global threat landscape, terrorist financing, intelligence sharing and protecting critical infrastructure.
Officials also disputed reports that foreign partners were reluctant to participate, saying several governments approached the United States seeking to join the initiative after recognizing similar trends within their own borders.
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“We’ve had countries who have reached out to us that want to be part of this,” the senior State Department official said.
The four organizations designated by the administration in November were Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI), Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense. The administration says the groups, which operate in Germany, Italy and Greece, have coordinated violent attacks across national borders.
