In view of geographical factors and its inhuman acts, there is no doubt that spread of the activities of ISIS militant group could not be possible in the absence of coordination with and support of secret services of certain countries in the region and the world.
Subsequent to the regional developments that followed the fall of former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and also following developments in Arab countries of the Middle East, some regional countries, including Saudi Arabia – which is seen by the West as a factor for creating balance of power in the region – have incurred heavy costs. As a result, waging proxy war along Iran's borders due to concerns about the country’s rising power and influence and also to facilitate security and intelligence infiltration into Iran can be considered as a reason for the continued activities of this militant group.
Therefore, assuming that regional countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are playing a role in transporting forces for this group and providing it with money and military equipment, of course with the support of Western countries, especially the United States, and Israel, would it follow that these countries, as influential powers in the region, have changed their policy on safeguarding regional stability and balance of power?
In fact, a major concern for Saudi Arabia and the Western powers, especially the United States, as well as Israel could be the fact that despite vast investment made by the Western-Arab coalition, the regional balance has changed in favor of the resistance axis and Iran. As a result, despite the emergence and expansion of ISIS in the region, and though most regional countries have been affected by it, Iran's borders have not been affected by this group in any way.
Therefore, getting Iran engaged in proxy wars – including through infiltration of ISIS into the country – with the final goal of reducing Iran's regional power and influence, are among strategies, which have been pursued by Saudi Arabia and its allies during the past years.
Another noteworthy point is how ISIS would finally deal with countries that have created and support it. Is it possible that the alliance between these countries and ISIS group is just a short-term and ephemeral solution, or is it a long-term strategy? According to the first assumption, after relative stability is established in territories occupied by this group, challenges and conflicts will change direction toward the Persian Gulf littoral states in south, and Turkey in north. However, in the second assumption, ISIS will mostly play the role of the proxy of Iran's regional rivals, who may be able to cause challenges along Iran's western borders by instigating religious motivations among people living there. In other words, regional countries and global powers will move in the same direction under the leadership of global powers in order to change the balance of power in the region and reduce Iran's regional influence and power with waging a proxy war along Iran's borders being one of the tools available to these countries in order to achieve this goal.
Without a doubt, any measure taken by the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the country will have a clear goal and motivation, and Iran's political, security and military officials are well aware of this issue. This is why secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council recently opined that a plan has been worked out by the world hegemonic powers and their regional stooges in order to fan the flames of ethnic and religious differences by taking advantage of traitor elements. He added that the main goal of this plan is to prevent development in the region and consume internal capacities of Iran while preventing synergism and progress of the Iranian nation.
Following Iraq’s eight-year war against Iran, the Islamic Republic has achieved remarkable stability in most sectors. At the same time, most other regional countries have been entangled in conflicts both within and without their borders. However, in addition to stability and security that Iran enjoys in such a critical region as the Middle East, the country’s influence and power has also greatly increased compared to any time before, especially following the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. All these issues have provided regional and global enemies of Iran with necessary motivation to create challenges that would pose a threat to Iran's domestic and regional security and stability. At present, the most important of these challenges is the possibility of ISIS waging a proxy war along Iran's borders.
Of course, Iran's Supreme Leader gave a clear answer to ill wishes of enemies in this regard during his address in the graduation ceremony of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’s Imam Hossein (AS) University. Referring to reports about efforts made by ill-wishers of the Iranian nation and certain regional officials in the Persian Gulf countries for bringing proxy wars to Iran's borders, the Leader said, “Islamic Revolution guards and all those guarding [Iran's] national security within the armed forces are vigilant and awake and in case of any mischief, the Islamic Republic of Iran's reaction would be extremely hard.”
It seems that activities of terrorist groups in the region will continue as long as a consensus on their total annihilation is lacking. Without a doubt, continuation of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East meets the interests of certain countries. Therefore, the threat of terrorism will continue to plague the region for a long time to come. Up to the present time, Iran has been able to protect its borders by various means and turn into a stable country in the region. However, as evidenced by available documents and proofs, and according to official remarks made by authorities in Iran's regional and global rivals, on the one hand, and in the light of statements made by Iran's security and military officials, on the other hand, this state of stability is not acceptable for some regional powers and their Western backers. Therefore, they will spare no effort to weigh down on order and security in Iran, and to facilitate security and intelligence infiltration into the country in order to take measures that would foment crisis.
