The intense military confrontation between Iran and Israel, sparked by the assassination of key Hezbollah and Hamas leaders and followed by Tehran’s large-scale missile strikes on Tel Aviv, has led to a notable increase in anti-Shia and anti-Jewish propaganda efforts by the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP).

ISKP’s Uzbek and Tajik wings are exploiting the Iranian-Israeli military escalation to recruit, raise funds, and incite violence. Amid Israel’s devastating war with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” forces, the Islamic States’ Khorasan branch has launched a propaganda offensive targeting both Iran and Israel, branding them as “enemies of the Islamic Ummah, equally dangerous to the Ahlus Sunnah (Sunni Islam).”

Shortly after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and the subsequent destructive Israeli invasion of Gaza, ISKP’s official multilingual propaganda arm, Al-Azaim Media Foundation, initiated a media campaign targeting Iran and Israel through its English-language magazine, Voice of Khurasan (Issue 35), under the headline “Sibling Quarrel.” The editorial expressed satisfaction, noting how two sworn enemies of Islam were destroying each other in the Middle East.

The article spins an elaborate conspiracy theory, contending that despite the depiction of the Iran-Israel conflict, Shias are historically descended from Jewish Sabaeans, and both groups actively undermine the Islamic Ummah by opposing the true faith of Allah. It further claims that the “enmity” between Iran and Israel is a contrived narrative, sustained by “orchestrated, mutually coordinated missile strikes” intended to foster the illusion of a protracted conflict. Additionally, it argues that Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” has done nothing to advance the freedom of Palestinian Muslims but has instead corrupted both their religion and society.

ISKP’s propaganda asserts that Israel aims to establish a Jewish state from the Nile to the Euphrates, while Iran aspires to form a Shia crescent extending from Tripoli to Mecca, unified in its hostility toward Sunni Muslims. The publication further insists that only the Islamic State can thwart the dangerous schemes of both Israel and Iran, purging the Middle East of Jews and Shias.

Following the publication of Voice of Khurasan, the Tajik and Uzbek media wings of ISKP’s Al-Azaim Media Foundation, specifically al-Azaim Tajiki and al-Azaim Uzbeki, initiated a propaganda campaign directed against both Iran and Israel. A pro-IS Tajik Telegram channel, Sadoi Khuroson, stated that “Rawafidhs [a derogatory term for Shia Muslims] are the donkeys of the Jews,” employing profoundly offensive language.

Weaponizing Sectarian Hatred: ISKP’s Anti-Shia and Anti-Semitic Ideology

Notably, ISKP propaganda frequently targets both Shias and Jews simultaneously, reflecting the group’s broader ideological goals. Violent anti-Shiism and antisemitism are core principles of the hardline Salafi ideology embraced by the Uzbek and Tajik wings of ISKP.

Before the emergence of ISKP in Afghanistan in late 2014, al-Qaida-linked Central Asian jihadi organizations espoused a less severe form of anti-Shia and antisemitic ideology and did not perceive Iran and Israel in a unified context. But over the past decade, local ISKP ideologues have effectively transformed their Central Asian militants, Tajiks in particular – who share deep cultural, linguistic, and historical ties with the Persians of Iran – into fervent anti-Shia and anti-Jewish Salafi jihadists. Today, vitriolic rhetoric against Jews and Shia Muslims dominates publications such as Xuroson Ovozi, Sadoi Khuroson, and Khurasan Ghag magazines, as well as the al-Azaim Tajiki and al-Azaim Uzbeki Telegram channels. 

Despite the apparent enmity between Iran and Israel, the Uzbek and Tajik wings of ISKP nevertheless perceive Jews and Shias as allies. Their anti-Shiism is deeply intertwined with the group’s antisemitism within the framework of Central Asian Salafism. After October 7 conspiracy theories have gained traction within Central Asian Salafi circles accusing Shias of acting as agents of the Jews in a coordinated effort to undermine Sunni Islam. 

In addition to its goal of liberating the sacred lands of Bayt ul Maqdis (Jerusalem) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s three holiest sites, anti-Shia and anti-Semitic ideology has now become a core element of ISKP Tajik and Uzbek unit’s media strategy.

In line with directives from its parent organization, pro-ISKP Telegram channels in Cyrillic, operated by Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik jihadi propagandists, often claim that “the Jews and the Rawafidh are two sides of the same coin.” These platforms exploit the global Jewish-Shia conspiracy narrative to boost recruitment, fundraise, incite violence, and expand ISKP’s ideological reach throughout the post-Soviet Central Asian region.

Anti-Shia Doctrine Propelled Tajik ISKP to Strike Iran

Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, ISKP’s hardline anti-Shia and antisemitic ideology has undeniably played a pivotal role in expanding its propaganda reach and internationalizing its operational agenda. The group has relentlessly criticized the Taliban – its chief adversary – accusing them of deviating from religious purity, colluding with Shia Iran, and aligning with U.S. interests, thereby reinforcing its narrative as the sole legitimate defender of the faith of Allah.

Over the past three years, ISKP has evolved from a provincial branch of the Islamic State, focused primarily on fighting the local Taliban regime, into one of the world’s most notorious and dangerous terrorist organizations. This shift toward regionalization and internationalization has been propelled largely by post-Soviet Tajik and Uzbek militants, who orchestrated high-profile attacks in Iran, Turkey, and Russia between 2022 and 2024.

Since 2021, ISKP has successfully formed a Shaheed (martyrdom) unit comprised of Tajik fighters, specifically tasked with targeting Iranian Shias. These militants are celebrated as exemplars of bravery, devotion, and self-sacrifice in the quest for the Islamic Caliphate. Driven by a potent blend of anti-Shiism and antisemitic ideology, ISKP’s Tajik fighters have elevated the group’s external operations to new global heights, significantly broadening its transnational reach and influence.

The first external operation conducted by ISKP’s Tajik wing – extending beyond its traditional areas of operation in Central Asia and Afghanistan – took place on October 26, 2022, in Iran’s southwestern Fars province. In this attack, a Tajik militant opened fire at the Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz, resulting in at least 15 fatalities and over 40 injuries. Shortly after, ISKP claimed responsibility through its Amaq News Agency, stating that the purpose of the attack was to “remind the Rawafidh that the companions of the Prophet Muhammad have descendants who inherit revenge generation after generation.” Amaq also referenced its 2018 attack during a military parade in Ahvaz Province as further evidence of its continued commitment to avenging the Shia. 

A few days later, Islamic State’s Al-Naba (#363) published a photo and video of a Tajik fighter, codenamed Abu Aisha al-Omari, holding a rifle in front of an Islamic State flag, pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence identified the shooter as Subhan Kamroni, also known by his alias as Abu Aisha, a citizen of Tajikistan. The ministry further reported the arrest of 26 Islamic State Takfiri militants, all foreign nationals from Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan. 

The second high-profile external operation by ISKP’s Tajik wing, which garnered significant international attention and caused extensive casualties, occurred on January 3, 2024. A twin bombing targeted a gathering of Iranians commemorating former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, at his grave in Kerman, Iran. The devastating attack claimed 96 lives and injured 284 others. The Islamic State, through its Amaq News Agency, claimed responsibility, releasing a video of two Tajik fighters pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Sheikh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi before carrying out the operation.

Following the attack, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, through the state-run Tasnim News agency, identified the two ISKP Tajik suicide bombers as Abdollah al-Tajiki and Israeli Bazirov, a 24-year-old Tajikistani citizen. The ministry disclosed that Bazirov, who had undergone jihadi training at an ISKP camp in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, had illegally entered Iran through a smuggler’s route in the Sistan and Baluchistan province.

ISKP’s Tajik wing attracted further international attention following its highly coordinated attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22, 2024. Executed by four Tajik militants, this operation marked the wing’s third and most significant external attack to date.

The appeal of ISKP for Tajik and Uzbek recruits lies in its compelling ideological doctrine and sophisticated propaganda strategy, which have successfully targeted the most vulnerable and disillusioned segments of Central Asian society, often unemployed and impoverished youth. In their desperation, many find solace and direction in radical Salafism.

Amid Israel’s devastating military campaigns in Gaza and southern Lebanon, which have resulted in significant civilian casualties, ISKP’s multilingual Al-Azaim Media Foundation continues to amplify and weaponize its hardline anti-Shia and anti-Jewish ideology for strategic gain. Voice of Khorasan, Al-Naba, and pro-ISKP Tajik, Kyrgyz, Russian, and Uzbek Telegram channels are all filled with sectarian hostility and inflammatory dawahs from prominent Salafi imams, targeting both Israel and Iran under a unified ideological framework.

The headlines from ISKP’s Voice of Khorasan articles, such as “Message to Our Brothers and Sisters in Palestine: Join the Caravan of Izzah” (issue #33), “Why IS Mujahideen Target Rawafidh and Turn Their Cities into Cemeteries” (issue #38), “Sufyani’s Army is Gathering” (issue #38), “Palestine: The New War on Tyrants Has Begun” (issue #32), and “Reality of Rawafidh” (issue #32), along with their Dari-language book “The Rawafidh and Bait al-Maqdis,” reveal the group’s strategic exploitation of the Israel-Hezbollah-Hamas conflict to advance its jihadi goals. These publications blend anti-Shia and antisemitic ideologies, promoting conspiracy theories that depict Shia Muslims as long-standing allies of Jews in a unified campaign to annihilate Sunni Islam.

ISKP: A Terrorism Threat to the West

ISKP’s sophisticated anti-Shia and antisemitic ideology is strategically crafted to expand the scale of both local and global attacks, while also inciting lone-wolf terrorists in Europe and the United States to commit high-profile acts of violence. The recent arrests of ISKP sympathizers – including a Tajik national in Italy and Uzbek and Tajik migrants in Russia, Germany, and Turkey – underscore the influence of its calls for attacks against the “Crusaders,” Jews, and Shias.

ISKP Tajik and Uzbek wings’ ability to exploit the suffering in Gaza raises the real possibility that Central Asian migrants in the West could become radicalized by its ideological messaging. The prominence of the Palestinian conflict further amplifies the risk of lone-wolf attacks inspired by ISKP. This makes vigilance by Western counterterrorism and intelligence agencies critical.