A top Iranian army commander said today that his troops would take “decisive” action if Islamic State group militants come within 40 kilometres of its borders with Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iran, the major Shiite power in the Middle East, is heavily involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq against the jihadists, primarily Sunni Muslims who denounce Shiites as apostates who must be killed. The comments from General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, , came after Iraq’s foreign minister said intelligence sources showed Iran was among countries IS had plans to attack. The remarks came after IS claimed responsibility for Friday’s gun and bomb attacks in Paris which killed 129 people. “The Iraqi foreign ministry warned us but the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army states that it has no fear of such threats and a red line has been drawn in Iraq 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border,” Pourdastan said.