11. The United States and the Taliban vs. ISIS-K
Decades of hostility defined the U.S. relationship with the Taliban, yet in recent years, both found themselves targeting ISIS-K as a mutual foe in Afghanistan. While not formal partners, their overlapping interests post-2020 withdrawal have seen some level of cooperation, intelligence sharing, and deconfliction in military strategies. Such makeshift alliances underscore the complicated reality of modern conflict. (cfr.org)
