The jihadists are being moved from prisons in Syria to special camps in neighboring Iraq, Aleksandr Bortnikov has said | Western spy agencies are intending to use Syrian militants as a proxy force against Iran, Russian Federal Security Service chief Aleksandr Bortnikov has said. ● The jihadists, who fought for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and other terrorist groups, are being moved from their detention facilities in Syria to special camps in Iraq, Bortnikov said during a meeting of the security chiefs from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Russia’s Irkutsk Region on Tuesday. The CIS was established in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, to promote economic, political and security cooperation between members. It currently includes nine nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan.
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■ Are ISIS militants attacking Iran? (duck.ai) | Short answer: Yes — ISIS (including IS-K/ISKP and ISIS-affiliated cells) has carried out and attempted attacks tied to Iran or on territory near Iran in 2024–2026, and intelligence/analysis groups report ISIS exploiting regional instability to attack Iranian-linked targets and nearby areas.
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■ ISIS militants against Iran? (duck.ai) | A brief summary of ISIS activity or attacks targeting Iran and Iran's response.
● ISIS has carried out several attacks inside Iran since 2017, mainly in the border provinces (Sistan and Baluchestan, Kermanshah) and in Tehran; notable large attacks occurred in June 2017 (Parliament and Shrine) and later smaller cross-border and local strikes.
● Iran accuses ISIS and affiliated Sunni militant groups of operating from border regions in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan/Afghanistan; Tehran has conducted cross-border strikes and backed proxy forces in Iraq and Syria to combat ISIS.
● Iran labels some Sunni militant groups in its southeast (e.g., Jaish al-Adl) as linked to ISIS, though links vary; ISIS-K (Khorasan) is active in Afghanistan/Pakistan and has threatened Iran at times.
● Iran’s security approach: domestic crackdowns on cells, increased military presence along vulnerable borders, intelligence operations, and regional military actions (airstrikes or support for allied militias) when it attributes attacks to ISIS or similar groups.
● Current status (as of May 2026): ISIS as a centralized caliphate no longer exists, but ISIS-affiliated cells and IS-K continue low-to-medium intensity attacks regionally; Iran faces sporadic threats but has largely prevented large-scale ISIS resurgence within its core territory.
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■ ISIS militants against Iran? (Google Gemini) | The relationship between ISIS and Iran is one of intense, violent animosity. The two entities are bitter enemies driven by deep sectarian differences, geopolitical rivalries, and directly opposing ideologies. The dynamics of ISIS militants operating against Iran can be broken down into a few key areas:
1. Ideological Roots (Sectarian Hatred) ISIS adheres to a radical, ultra-extremist form of Sunni jihadism (Salafi-jihadism). They view Shia Muslims—who make up the vast majority of Iran's population and form the bedrock of its government—as Rafida (rejectors of Islamic truth) and apostates. In ISIS's worldview, Shia Muslims are considered legitimate targets for violence, often prioritized even above Western adversaries.
2. Major Attacks Inside Iran While Iran has highly secure borders and tight internal security, ISIS has managed to orchestrate several high-profile, devastating terrorist attacks inside Iranian territory over the years:
● The 2024 Kerman Bombings: In January 2024, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K, the group's Afghanistan-based affiliate) claimed responsibility for a twin bombing in Kerman during a memorial for IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani. The attack killed nearly 100 people, making it one of the deadliest terrorist incidents inside Iran since the 1979 revolution.
● The 2022 and 2023 Shah Cheragh Shrine Attacks: ISIS claimed responsibility for mass shootings at a major Shia holy site in Shiraz, targeting pilgrims and civilians.
● The 2017 Tehran Attacks: ISIS militants launched a coordinated assault on the Iranian Parliament building and the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, killing 17 people.
3. Battlefield Warfare in Iraq and Syria When ISIS expanded rapidly in 2014 and established its self-proclaimed caliphate, it posed a direct threat to Iran’s regional borders and its closest allies (the Shia-led government in Iraq and the Assad regime in Syria). In response, Iran became a primary military force fighting against ISIS:
● Iran mobilized, funded, and armed powerful Shia paramilitary networks (such as the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq) to fight ISIS on the ground.
● The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), particularly its Quds Force led by Qasem Soleimani, actively directed counter-ISIS military operations in both Iraq and Syria, cooperating loosely on a shared goal with the U.S.-led international coalition, despite being geopolitical adversaries.
4. The Role of ISIS-K (Khorasan Province) Today, the most active ISIS threat to Iran comes from ISIS-K, which operates primarily out of neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISIS-K actively recruits from disgruntled Sunni minorities in the region (including within Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province) and heavily uses anti-Iranian, anti-Shia propaganda to justify its operations. They view Iran's regional influence as a major roadblock to their goal of establishing a hardline Sunni caliphate in South and Central Asia.
