Khamenei's Advisor: We Warned ISIS That We Will Intervene Directly If They Approach Holy Sites

Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior advisor and military assistant to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that Iran has warned the Islamic State (ISIS) that it will directly engage in combat if they approach the "sacred" Shia sites in Iraq. According to Fars News Agency, Yahya Rahim Safavi mentioned Iran's message to the "Daesh" during a ceremony commemorating the Judiciary Week and the anniversary of the victims of the July 7, 1981 bombing in Karaj. He said, "They (ISIS) wanted to move towards the holy shrines, and we sent them a message that if you approach these sacred sites of Muslims in Iraq, we will directly enter the field, and you know that you cannot withstand the Iranian Basij forces." The holy shrines refer to the tombs of several Shia Imams located in the cities of Najaf, Karbala, Kadhimayn, and Samarra. The Supreme Leader's senior advisor further defended the Islamic Republic's support for the governments of Syria and Iraq in their fight against ISIS, stating, "Some young people ask why we should support Iraq and Syria, and I answer that if we do not fight these criminal ISIS members, who have no religion or faith, across the borders and secure our country in these areas, we will have to fight these terrorists at our own borders." The Iranian leader had previously warned that some countries are trying to bring proxy wars to Iran's borders. Ali Khamenei stated, "I have information that enemies, with the cooperation of some foolish officials in the Persian Gulf region, are trying to bring proxy wars to Iran's borders." The Supreme Leader did not provide further details on this aspect of his statements, but Iran and Arab Sunni countries in the Persian Gulf have long been engaged in a fierce competition over the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, which some media and analysts refer to as "proxy wars." The Islamic Republic firmly supports the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other Arab Sunni countries support the opposition to Assad. Meanwhile, Abdulreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of Interior, has stated that the Islamic Republic has "officially" informed Iraq that if ISIS approaches Iran's borders, "we will definitely intervene." Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, referred to ISIS as "a plague and a great disaster in the world" and stated, "For the health of the nation, we must quarantine our borders and help our neighboring country so that this cancer does not spread to our country." In this context, "400 fighters" killed in Syria have been buried in Iran. The Minister of Intelligence stated that ISIS has made significant efforts to create insecurity in Iran. "Proxy wars" and the threat to Iran's national security. Rahmani Fazli: If ISIS approaches Iran's borders, we will definitely intervene. Qassem Soleimani: No one but Iran has the power to confront ISIS. Changing the battlefield of the "proxies"; war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. The Secretary of Iran's Security Council: The time for reconnecting the internet is uncertain. The shadow of war over Tehran; "Trump is looking for decisive military options against Iran." Trump says if the Islamic Republic attempts to assassinate him, "it will be wiped off the face of the earth." A senior U.S. official: The Trump administration is closely monitoring the case of Reza Valizadeh. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis.