(Tasnim) -- Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Friday, General Vahidi, the former defense minister, pointed to the collapse of Isis Takfiri group in the Middle East region and said Western powers had backed the terrorists and tried to prevent the defeat of Isis in Iraq and Syria.

Since the terror group collapsed in the countries, the US has sought to move the Isis elements to the Central Asia and Afghanistan, he noted.   

The commander further called for vigilance against the spread of terrorist currents in the region.

On November 19, Isis terrorists were flushed out of their last stronghold in Syria’s Al-Bukamal. The city’s liberation marked an end to the group’s self-proclaimed caliphate it had declared in 2014.

Isis militants made swift advances in northern and western Iraq over the summer of 2014, after capturing large areas of Syria.

But the timely support by Iran helped Syria and Iraq fight off Isis. In addition, formation of military units by volunteers in Iraq, known as Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Units, blunted the edge of Isis offensive and later made the terror group withdraw from much of the territories it had occupied.

Back in August, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned against re-emergence of Isis in other regions, particularly Central Asia.

“After suffering a complete defeat in Iraq and Syria, terrorists are likely to try to permeate across the region. Thus, all of us should be wary of such a threat (in the region), as in the Caucasus and Central Asia,” Rouhani said in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart.

(Image: pacificsentinel)