The latest claim by Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Aleksandr Bortnikov that Western intelligence agencies are preparing to use former ISIS militants against Iran is difficult to verify independently. Yet regardless of whether every aspect of the allegation proves accurate, the warning touches upon a dangerous reality that has repeatedly shaped modern geopolitics: major powers have often been tempted to use irregular armed groups as instruments of foreign policy, only to discover that such forces rarely remain under control.

According to Bortnikov, former Islamic State fighters and other jihadist militants are allegedly being transferred from detention facilities in Syria to specialized camps in neighboring Iraq, where they could eventually be deployed as proxy forces against Tehran. He further argued that similar prison systems played a role in the early development of ISIS and warned that militants originating from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries could eventually be redirected not only toward the Middle East but also back toward their countries of origin.

The accusation arrives at a particularly sensitive moment. Tensions between the United States and Iran remain elevated despite ongoing diplomatic contacts. While indirect negotiations continue and regional actors seek to prevent another major military confrontation, mistrust dominates relations between Washington and Tehran. Against this backdrop, allegations of covert preparations involving extremist groups naturally attract attention and concern.

Whether or not Bortnikov’s claims are substantiated, the broader question deserves serious examination: what happens when states view extremist organizations as useful geopolitical tools rather than long-term security threats?

History provides sobering answers.

Throughout the Cold War and the post-Cold War era, governments across the world have occasionally supported armed non-state actors to weaken rivals, influence conflicts, or achieve strategic objectives without direct military intervention. Such arrangements often appear attractive because they offer plausible deniability,........

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