Qassem Soleimani: No One Besides Iran Has the Power to Counter ISIS

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran referred to the "events in the region" as a "religious crisis" and stated that combating the Islamic State (formerly ISIS) is "in the interests of the Iranian nation," asserting that "no one besides Iran" has the power to confront this group. According to ISNA news agency, Qassem Soleimani described the "events in the region" on Sunday evening, June 3, as a "religious crisis" that, according to him, "has no precedent in the history of Islam." He emphasized: "ISIS is a plague and a great disaster in the world... therefore, 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." The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps regarded the fight against the Islamic State as a "great act" and "in the interests of the Iranian nation," adding: "If someone does not make the people aware of this danger, they will be complicit in future calamities." Additionally, according to Tasnim news agency, Mr. Soleimani emphasized that in confronting the "dangerous phenomenon" of the Islamic State, "there is no one but the Islamic Republic." He also stated that Iran does not need "oil and soil" from Iraq and will assist all countries that, according to him, have been "wronged." Mr. Soleimani's remarks come as Ahmadreza Pourdastan, the commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, stated on Sunday that "takfiri and terrorist groups" are currently "near Iran's borders," noting that "today we see ISIS's footprints in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and they are preparing themselves." Meanwhile, Wahid Mojdeh, a former Taliban diplomat, reported on Sunday that the political delegation of this group recently visited Tehran to discuss Iran's concerns about the activities of the Islamic State along Iran's eastern borders. On Thursday, February 11, 2015, Mr. Soleimani also stated that ISIS and other so-called "terrorist" groups in Iraq and Syria are "approaching the end of their lifespan." Two days after these remarks, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that "Iran has become a scourge for ISIS in Iraq." Qassem Soleimani: The U.S. Lacks the Will to Counter ISIS In another part of his remarks, Qassem Soleimani accused American soldiers stationed in Anbar province, Iraq, of not confronting the Islamic State. According to the state news agency IRNA, he said: "Mr. Obama, how many kilometers is the distance from the Assad base where American planes are stationed to Ramadi? How can you... take no action? Isn’t this part of being complicit in a conspiracy?" He added: "There is no will to confront ISIS." These statements from this senior Iranian military official come as coalition aircraft led by the U.S. have participated in bombing Islamic State positions in various areas of Iraq, including Ramadi, in recent days. American advisors stationed at Ain al-Asad airbase have also been engaged in training Iraqi forces and advising them on countering ISIS in recent months. However, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, also described the statements of American officials regarding the formation of an international coalition to combat the Islamic State as "empty, hollow, and biased," stating: "The action that took place in Iraq and broke ISIS's back was not the work of the Americans, but rather the work of the people, the army, and the popular forces of Iraq." Iranian officials have repeatedly claimed that the "Islamic State" was created by the U.S. and Western countries, with Khamenei stating that the British government created "ISIS" and Al-Qaeda "to confront the Islamic Republic and Islamic awakening." Warning from Iran's Interior Minister to the Islamic State According to Fars news agency, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Interior Minister, emphasized on Tuesday regarding the Islamic State group: "We have previously announced that if these terrorist and takfiri groups come within 40 kilometers of Iran's borders, we will take necessary actions to confront them." Rahmani Fazli stated that "regional countries must act together on this issue," adding: "The entry and presence of foreign forces, including the U.S., has not been able to prevent the advance of these terrorist forces because foreign forces have always pursued their own goals and objectives."