Minister of Intelligence: ISIS has made significant efforts to create insecurity in Iran

The Iranian Minister of Intelligence states that the Islamic State group, or ISIS, has made "significant efforts to operate and create insecurity" in Iran, particularly in the country's border areas. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mahmoud Alavi said on Friday, June 22, that the group has "failed to achieve its goals" due to the efforts of the Ministry of Intelligence forces. Alavi did not provide further details about ISIS's attempts. On June 8, he mentioned in a Friday prayer in Tehran that "related cells and teams" of the Islamic State in Iran have been identified "one after another" and their members have been "hit hard." Meanwhile, Iranian military commanders have previously warned about the actions of ISIS near Iran's borders. For instance, Ahmadreza Pourdastan, commander of the Army Ground Forces, stated on Sunday, June 3, in parliament that "takfiri and terrorist" forces are near Iran's borders. Pourdastan noted that last year, ISIS members had prepared ammunition depots and forces in Iran's border provinces to create chaos through terror and explosions upon their entry, but Iran has organized "five combat brigades" to confront them, with reconnaissance forces having gone "up to 40 kilometers into Iraqi territory." However, Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, expressed regret on Tuesday, June 12, over Pourdastan's statements, asserting that "we never had ISIS at our borders." On Friday, the Minister of Intelligence referred to the Islamic State as a "product and creation of British, Mossad, and Saudi intelligence services" and added that "global arrogance seeks to polarize Islamic countries and the region by instigating proxy wars." Meanwhile, Ismail Qaani, deputy commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, said on Thursday that part of these so-called "takfiri" groups is supported by "Turkey," while another part is funded by "Jordan and Saudi money." On the same day, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the parliament stated, "The whole world has come to the conclusion that to combat ISIS, they need Iran's cooperation, and hands are reaching out to Iran for this purpose." According to IRNA, Aladdin Boroujerdi accused the U.S. of "repeatedly supporting ISIS by sending weapons." Iranian officials have often claimed that the Islamic State group was created by the U.S. and Western countries, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stating that the British government created ISIS and Al-Qaeda "to confront the Islamic Republic and Islamic awakening."