Islamic State (IS) rejected Friday accusations it is loyal to Iran, releasing a footage in which it announced plans to target Iran in the coming period. The footage posted on IS affiliated social media accounts launched an attack on arch-rival al-Qaeda, accusing it of being close to Iran. According to the footage, prominent leaders of Taliban, which is known for its strong allegiance to al-Qaeda, had travelled to Iran more than once. IS stressed that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had refused to carry out any attacks in Iran, adding that he was involved in several occasions in deals with Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. The terror organization that captured large swathes of Iraq and Syria, also pointed out that a group of Shiites in Afghanistan had pledged allegiance to Taliban. IS has called on al-Qaeda militants to leave the terrorist organization for IS. Extremist Islamists, who adopt the Sunni dogma, consider the Shiite Iran as a country of disbelievers. IS became a fierce rival of its parent organization al-Qaeda due to a power struggle over global influence and who should lead the so-called Islamic caliphate.
