French President François Hollande on Wednesday called the global security situation ‘the worst since 2001’ and that he would arrange a conference in September on the threat posed by Islamic extremists in Iraq.

Labelling the organisation that calls itself the Islamic State (IS, formally known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, or ISIS) “a terrorist quasi-state”, Hollande called for a “global strategy” against the group in an interview with French daily Le Monde.

The IS, he said, was “well structured, well financed, has very sophisticated weapons and is threatening countries like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon”.

The IS is made up of Sunni jihadists intent on carving out a self-styled caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq. They have made significant gains in northern Iraq in recent months and have been fighting Lebanese troops on the Syrian border and Kurdish and Iraqi government troops in northern Iraq.

France announced last week it would deliver weapons to Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who are on the frontline of the fighting against IS forces.

"I ensured that these deliveries were done with the full agreement of the authorities in Baghdad," Hollande said.

France arming Syrian rebels

Hollande also confirmed for the first time that France was delivering weapons to the “democratic Syrian rebels”.

“These rebels need all our help,” he said in reference to the Free Syrian Army fighters, who are sandwiched between forces loyal to dictator Bashar al-Assad and the increasingly large number of IS fighters.

“The international community bears a heavy responsibility in Syria,” he said. "If, two years ago, we had acted to ensure a transition, we would not have had Islamic State.

"If, one year ago, the major powers had reacted to the use of chemical weapons, we wouldn't have had this terrible choice between a dictator and a terrorist group," Hollande added, stating that the rebels "deserve all our support".

France24