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ISIS Gains Momentum in Syria, Avoids Iranian Militias

ISIS members in Syria (SOHR)
ISIS members in Syria (SOHR)
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ISIS Gains Momentum in Syria, Avoids Iranian Militias

ISIS members in Syria (SOHR)
ISIS members in Syria (SOHR)

ISIS has significantly escalated its attacks in Syria during the first half of 2024, a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Thursday.
The Observatory revealed that ISIS still avoids targeting Iranian militias despite their large presence in the Syrian desert (Badia).
Instead, ISIS mainly targets Syrian regime forces, killing many officers, it said.
SOHR also said that ISIS targeted military and civilians alike. The attacks were mainly staged within scattered areas of the Syrian desert under the control of the regime and Iranian militias, and in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and eastern Syria.
It noted that the terrorist group killed hundreds of people despite the sweep campaigns launched against its cells by Russian-backed army forces in the Syrian countryside and the security operations carried out by the SDF, with the support of the International Coalition, in northern and eastern Syria.
On Wednesday, ISIS killed eight people, including two civilians, in an ambush on pro-government militiamen in Syria’s desert.
The monitor group reported a death toll of eight, including “six members of the National Defense Forces and two sheep herders.”
According to SOHR statistics, ISIS has killed 449 people in 155 military operations it launched in the Syrian desert since early 2024.
The Britain-based monitor with sources in Syria said that the fatalities include 29 ISIS members, three of whom were killed in Russian airstrikes and the others by regime forces and their proxy militias.
It added that 376 members of regime forces and their proxy militias, including 33 Iranian-backed Syrian militiamen and three members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed in 155 operations by ISIS members, including ambushes, armed attacks, and explosions, in west Euphrates region and the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Al-Raqqah, Homs.
The SOHR report said all counter-operations to limit the rise of ISIS have failed.
ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a governorate and launching a reign of terror.
It was defeated territorially in Syria in 2019, but its remnants still carry out deadly attacks -- particularly in the desert -- and mainly targeting government loyalists and Kurdish-led fighters.
Last month, the Observatory said ISIS fighters had killed nearly 4,100 people in Syria since 2019.
The United Nations in January said ISIS’s combined strength in Iraq and Syria was 3,000-5,000 fighters, with the desert serving as a hub for the group in Syria.

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Arab World

Attacks on Gulf States...an Obstacle to Egypt-Iran Rapprochement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Cairo in December 2024 (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Cairo in December 2024 (Egyptian Presidency)
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Attacks on Gulf States...an Obstacle to Egypt-Iran Rapprochement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Cairo in December 2024 (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Cairo in December 2024 (Egyptian Presidency)

After two years of steadily improving ties that appeared to be moving toward the restoration of full diplomatic relations, Egypt and Iran now seem to be facing a major setback. Egypt views Iran's current war and the subsequent attacks it carried out against Gulf states as a violation of one of its key conditions for fully normalizing relations: that Iran must not threaten the security of the Gulf or the wider region.

In a series of official statements and comments, Egypt has strongly condemned the Iranian attacks targeting Gulf Arab states, describing them as a dangerous escalation, a blatant violation of national sovereignty, and a direct threat to regional security and stability.

In its latest position, Egypt on Wednesday condemned "in the strongest terms" what it described as Iran's attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, saying they constituted "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of these sisterly states and a highly dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the entire region," according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Egypt stressed that "the security and stability of sisterly Arab states are an integral part of Egyptian and Arab national security," reiterating its categorical rejection of any actions or practices that undermine state sovereignty or threaten territorial integrity and security. It also underscored the importance of de-escalation and respect for international law in order to preserve regional security and stability.

For its part, Iran has been seeking to restore momentum in its relationship with Egypt. On Monday, Iran's mission in Cairo announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met in Tehran with Mojtaba Ferdowsi, head of Iran's Interests Section in Cairo, to discuss the course of bilateral relations.

According to the mission, Ferdowsi briefed Araghchi on the latest developments in relations between the two countries, as well as ongoing political contacts and cooperation in several fields.

The mission said Araghchi emphasized the importance of continuing bilateral consultations, adding that Egypt-Iran relations had made notable progress in recent years and that "continuous dialogue and consultation between Cairo and Tehran constitute an important pillar in supporting efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East."

Egyptian and Iranian presidents and their delegations on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia in October 2024 (Egyptian Presidency)

Bare Minimum

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Iran were severed in 1979 before being resumed 11 years later at the chargé d'affaires level.

Over the past two years, Egyptian and Iranian officials have held a series of meetings to discuss the possibility of developing relations further. Progress gained momentum in May 2023 following a presidential directive in Iran instructing the Foreign Ministry to take the necessary steps to strengthen relations with Egypt.

The period also saw meetings between the two countries' foreign ministers, as well as encounters between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and both Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi and current President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Asked about the prospects for advancing bilateral ties under current circumstances, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed El-Orabi said there was little room at present to speak of further development in Egypt-Iran relations.

"The region is experiencing turmoil that requires maintaining only the minimum level of relations necessary to manage the situation, reduce tensions and prevent further escalation," he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added: "The situation is not as dynamic as Tehran portrays it. There are certainly contacts and consultations, but they are aimed at addressing concerns that could further destabilize the region, not at deepening relations. Egypt rejects Iran's attacks on Gulf states and has strongly condemned them. That message has reached Iran, which is now trying to restore the level of rapprochement that existed before the current war."

File: The Egyptian Foreign Minister and his Iranian counterpart in Cairo (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Tarek Fahmy, professor of political science and international relations at Cairo University, said Egypt had approached Iran cautiously even before the war because of a longstanding lack of trust.

"Even when Iran responded by changing the name of Islambouli Street, named after the assassin of President Anwar Sadat, Egyptian officials stressed that this was not the basis of Egypt's demands for restoring relations with Iran," Fahmy said.

"There were broader political and security requirements related to regional security, foremost among them the security of the Gulf states and non-interference in Arab affairs."

He added that despite Iranian assurances intended to demonstrate goodwill and meet Egypt's requirements, which helped advance relations to some extent, Iran's current war and the subsequent attacks directed at Gulf states prompted Egypt to stand firmly behind Gulf security.

The Message Was Received

During two phone calls with the Iranian president in March and May, Sisi stressed Egypt's categorical rejection of any violation of Gulf states' sovereignty.

"The message has reached Iran, and Tehran has taken notice of it," Fahmy said. "It is now working to address the issue in an effort to restore the trajectory of relations with Cairo."

According to Fahmy, Iran wants Egypt to be one of the principal parties involved in any current or future negotiations with the United States, Israel or the International Atomic Energy Agency because of Egypt's credibility and its ability to maintain channels of communication with all sides.

"Tehran understands that its negotiations cannot rely on Pakistan alone," he said, adding that Iran also views Egypt as a key stabilizing force for regional security and stability.

Nevertheless, Fahmy does not expect Cairo to restore full diplomatic relations with Tehran unless Iran fulfills Egypt's conditions and requirements.

"Egypt will not take that step unless stability and balance are restored in the Gulf and the region as a whole," he said.

Arab World

UN Rights Chief Sending Lebanon Mission to Collect Evidence on Abuses since War Erupted

A French peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands on a hill overlooking Kfarkela, a Lebanese border village near Israel in southern Lebanon, on August 20, 2025. (AP)
A French peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands on a hill overlooking Kfarkela, a Lebanese border village near Israel in southern Lebanon, on August 20, 2025. (AP)
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UN Rights Chief Sending Lebanon Mission to Collect Evidence on Abuses since War Erupted

A French peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands on a hill overlooking Kfarkela, a Lebanese border village near Israel in southern Lebanon, on August 20, 2025. (AP)
A French peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands on a hill overlooking Kfarkela, a Lebanese border village near Israel in southern Lebanon, on August 20, 2025. (AP)

The UN rights chief said Wednesday he would send a mission to Lebanon to collect evidence on alleged rights abuses since the war began between Hezbollah and Israel.

"I have agreed with the government of Lebanon to conduct an impartial and independent assessment mission in the country," Volker Turk told journalists.

"I will soon be deploying a team to collect information and evidence on alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, and violations of international humanitarian law and related law committed by the parties to the armed conflict in the country since March 2."

Arab World

Egypt Moves to Postpone African Summit in El Alamein Over Ebola Concerns

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his participation in the Korea-Africa Summit earlier this month (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his participation in the Korea-Africa Summit earlier this month (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
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Egypt Moves to Postpone African Summit in El Alamein Over Ebola Concerns

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his participation in the Korea-Africa Summit earlier this month (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his participation in the Korea-Africa Summit earlier this month (Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

An Egyptian official source said there is a move toward postponing the African Union's Mid-Year Coordination Summit, which had been scheduled for the end of this month, due to the widespread spread of the Ebola virus in several African countries.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the outbreak has prompted the Egyptian government, in coordination with the African Union, to review plans for holding the summit and its accompanying events, including the El Alamein-Africa Business Forum. The summit and related activities are expected to be rescheduled for later this year.

The African Union Commission had been preparing to hold the summit on June 27. The gathering brings together the African Union and regional economic communities with the aim of accelerating economic integration across the continent.

The Egyptian government had also been preparing to host the inaugural El Alamein-Africa Forum from June 25 to 27, with the participation of government representatives, private-sector leaders and entrepreneurs from across Africa.

According to Egyptian sources, an announcement postponing the summit is expected until the health situation related to the spread of Ebola stabilizes.

The World Health Organization has expressed growing concern over the spread of Ebola following the rise in infections in Central Africa.

The organization previously raised its assessment of the outbreak risk in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda from "high" to "very high." WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the risk level "remains high at the regional level."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently warned that the current outbreak identified by the World Health Organization could reach a scale similar to the record outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people in West Africa, if strict containment measures are not implemented.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry previously announced the establishment of the El Alamein-Africa Forum as a permanent African business forum to be held every two years in Egypt. It said the inaugural edition, scheduled for this year, would bring together more than 20 heads of state and government, along with prominent leaders from international and regional financial institutions and key figures from Africa's business community.