Gravitas Plus: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Summary

In 1979, Iran's new regime formed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to protect the Islamic regime. The IRGC, initially created to defend against internal and external threats, has since expanded its influence across military, political, and economic sectors in Iran and West Asia. The force includes multiple branches, such as the elite Quds Force and the Basij militia, and has been involved in various controversial activities, leading to its designation as a terrorist organization by several countries. The IRGC's extensive control over Iran's economy and its involvement in international conflicts underscore its significant power.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was established in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution to defend Iran's new regime.
• 🛡️ The IRGC was created on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of Iran, to protect the Islamic regime from internal and external threats.
• 🏛️ Over time, the IRGC has grown beyond its original role, now exerting control over Iran's foreign policy, economy, society, military operations, and politics.
• 📊 The IRGC is often described as a 'regime within a regime,' with significant influence across Iran and the broader West Asia region.
• ⚔️ The IRGC has multiple branches, including the Basij militia, the elite Quds Force, and divisions across Iran's provinces, which contribute to its vast power and reach.
• 💼 The IRGC also operates as a business conglomerate, controlling a large portion of Iran's economy, with involvement in various sectors such as construction, engineering, and manufacturing.
• 🕵️ The Quds Force, a specialized branch of the IRGC, is responsible for unconventional warfare and military intelligence, particularly in supporting non-state actors in West Asia.
• 🚫 The IRGC has been accused of numerous violations, including cyberattacks, espionage, and supporting terrorist organizations, leading to its designation as a terrorist group by countries like the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
• 💸 The IRGC generates significant revenue, with estimates suggesting it controls nearly two-thirds of Iran's economy, making it a powerful economic force as well.
• 🔧 The IRGC’s construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, is a major contractor for industrial and developmental projects in Iran, further solidifying its economic and political influence.

Q & A

What was the purpose of forming the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)?

The IRGC was formed to defend the Islamic regime established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution from both internal and external threats.

Who ordered the formation of the IRGC?

The formation of the IRGC was ordered by Ayatollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of Iran.

How has the role of the IRGC evolved over time?

The IRGC has evolved from defending the regime to having a significant influence over Iran's foreign policy, economy, military operations, and politics, effectively becoming a regime within a regime.

What are some recent activities the IRGC has been accused of?

Recent accusations against the IRGC include harassing American ships, transporting weapons to Hezbollah, targeting oil tankers, and being involved in cyber attacks and espionage.

Which countries have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization?

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United States have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

What is the Quds Force, and what is its role?

The Quds Force is an elite unit within the IRGC responsible for unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations, primarily focusing on supporting non-state actors across West Asia.

What are some non-state actors supported by the Quds Force?

The Quds Force supports groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

How does the IRGC control a significant portion of Iran's economy?

The IRGC controls a significant portion of Iran's economy through various sectors such as construction, engineering, real estate, and manufacturing. Its construction arm, Khatam al-Anbiya, holds numerous contracts for large infrastructure projects.

What are bonyads, and how do they relate to the IRGC?

Bonyads are charitable foundations that operate as large holding companies, often used by the IRGC to control economic and societal aspects within Iran and to enrich the clerical leadership.

What actions has the IRGC taken against anti-government protests in Iran?

The IRGC has launched crackdowns against anti-government protests, including arrests, detentions, and even conducting missile and drone strikes, particularly in the Kurdish region.

Outlines

00:00

🇮🇷 Rise of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution led to the establishment of the IRGC, an elite paramilitary force of the Iranian Armed Forces, on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini. Initially aimed at defending the Islamic regime from internal and external threats, the IRGC has since expanded its influence to control Iran's foreign policy, society, economy, military operations, and politics. This force is now seen as a 'regime within a regime,' with a powerful network across West Asia. Understanding the IRGC is crucial to understanding Iran.

05:00

⚔️ IRGC's Role and Recent Controversies

The IRGC, recognized as the most powerful paramilitary organization in West Asia, has been involved in numerous controversial activities. It has been accused of harassing American ships, transporting weapons to Hezbollah, and engaging in various illegal operations. The IRGC has been designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, with the latter offering a $15 million reward for information about its activities. This highlights the IRGC's significant power and the global concern over its actions.

📜 Historical Roots and Evolution of the IRGC

The IRGC was formed to curb the power of Iran's military, which the clergy feared could launch a coup. The new regime created a constitutionally legitimate IRGC alongside the regular army. Initially a domestic force quelling protests, the IRGC gained prominence during the Iran-Iraq War. It now comprises 31 divisions and several wings, including Basij, a plainclothes militia that enforces Sharia law and suppresses dissent. The IRGC's structure and operations have grown significantly over the years.

🛡️ The Strength and Scope of the IRGC

The IRGC boasts 90,000 regulars and over 300,000 reservists. Its elite Quds Force conducts special operations and supports non-state actors like Hezbollah and Hamas. With a presence across West Asia, the IRGC also has aerospace, naval, ground force units, a nuclear command, and an intelligence agency. Its overall strength exceeds 250,000 personnel, half of Iran's armed forces. The IRGC's influence extends beyond defense, controlling vast sectors of Iran's economy and executing major construction projects.

🏢 IRGC's Economic and Political Influence

The IRGC controls a significant portion of Iran's economy, with Western estimates suggesting it holds sway over two-thirds of the market. Its construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, handles numerous major projects. Additionally, Bonyads, charitable foundations, act as holding companies enriching clerics and maintaining societal control. The IRGC's annual revenue is estimated at $12 billion, illustrating its role as a business conglomerate with significant political and economic power.

🚨 IRGC's Role in Recent Protests and International Implications

In response to recent anti-hijab protests in Iran, the IRGC has launched a severe crackdown, especially in the Kurdistan region. The force has conducted numerous attacks, arrests, and killings to suppress dissent. The global community's support for the Iranian movement requires addressing the IRGC's atrocities, dismantling its financial structure, and curbing its illicit activities across West Asia. The IRGC's actions highlight the urgent need for international intervention.

Keywords

💡Islamic Revolution

The Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran led to the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty and the establishment of an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. This event is crucial as it marked the rise of the new regime which formed the IRGC to protect its interests.

💡Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

A paramilitary force established by the new Iranian regime post-1979 revolution. The IRGC was formed to safeguard the Islamic regime from internal and external threats and has since expanded its influence over Iran’s foreign policy, economy, and politics.

💡Ayatollah Khomeini

The first Supreme Leader of Iran, who ordered the formation of the IRGC. His leadership established the ideological foundation for the IRGC to protect and propagate the Islamic revolution.

💡Basij

A wing of the IRGC responsible for civil affairs, maintaining law and order, and enforcing Sharia law. Basij is depicted as the visible symbol of the IRGC's strength, engaging in daily operations to suppress dissent.

💡Quds Force

An elite unit of the IRGC responsible for extraterritorial operations and supporting non-state actors like Hezbollah and Hamas. The Quds Force plays a significant role in Iran's military strategy beyond its borders.

💡Economy

The IRGC controls a substantial portion of Iran’s economy, with involvement in construction, engineering, and other sectors. This economic control amplifies its power, making it a crucial player in Iran’s financial and industrial landscape.

💡Terrorist Designation

Several countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization due to its involvement in various hostile activities, such as harassment of ships, carrying weapons for Hezbollah, and attacks on oil tankers.

💡Deep State

The concept of a 'regime within a regime,' illustrating how the IRGC operates with significant autonomy and influence within Iran, often acting independently of the official government structure.

💡Khatam al-Anbiya

The construction arm of the IRGC, involved in numerous projects across Iran, reflecting the IRGC's economic might. It controls a large number of companies and is a major contractor for various infrastructure projects.

💡Anti-Hijab Protests

Recent protests in Iran against the mandatory hijab laws, which the IRGC has aggressively suppressed. This highlights the IRGC’s role in internal security and its enforcement of the regime’s ideological and social policies.

Highlights

The Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 established a paramilitary force known as the Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

The world knows this force as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Formed on the orders of Ayatollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader of Iran, to defend his regime from internal and external threats.

The IRGC has grown to control significant aspects of Iran's foreign policy, society, economy, military, and politics.

The IRGC has become a regime within a regime, acting as a visible manifestation of a deep state.

Its influence extends across West Asia, with a network that reaches into various countries.

The IRGC has been involved in numerous controversial activities, including harassing American ships, carrying weapons for Hezbollah, and targeting oil tankers.

Designated as a terrorist organization by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, with the US offering a $15 million reward for information about the IRGC's operations.

The IRGC was created to curb the power of the regular military and ensure loyalty to the regime.

During the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, the IRGC played a central role, leading to its expansion into 31 divisions.

The IRGC includes various branches like the Basij militia, Quds Force, aerospace force, navy wing, ground force unit, nuclear command core, and a separate intelligence agency.

The IRGC controls nearly two-thirds of Iran's economy, dominating sectors like construction, engineering, and manufacturing.

The IRGC's construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, manages over 812 companies within Iran and abroad.

The IRGC operates like a business conglomerate with significant financial resources, estimated to have an annual revenue of $12 billion.

The IRGC has launched a massive crackdown on anti-hijab protesters, particularly in Kurdistan, conducting missile and drone strikes.

To support the movement in Iran, the world must address the IRGC's atrocities, financial structure, and illicit activities.

Transcripts

in 1979 when the Islamic revolution

swept through Iran the new regime

established a paramilitary force

an elite wing of the Iranian Armed

Forces

they named it

on a inglab a islami

in Persian this means the army of

Guardians of the Islamic revolution

that is what the Iranians call it

but the world knows this Force as the

Iranian revolutionary guard Corps a

force formed on the orders of Iota

Khamenei the first supreme leader of

Iran

the aim was to defend his Islamic regime

from both internal and external trips

but today this Force has outsized its

role and outstretched its purpose it has

a say in almost everything it executes

Iran's foreign policy wields control

over the society runs vast segments of

the economy looks after the military

operations even dictates the country's

politics

to put it simply this Force has become a

regime within a regime

a visible manifestation of a deep state

its power reaches into Iran's furthest

corners

its network runs across the length and

widths of West Asia

some even say that you cannot understand

Iran without understanding this Force

so we decided to understand it hello and

welcome you are watching gravitas plus

with me Molly gampir and this is the

story of the irgc

the Iranian revolutionary God called the

most powerful paramilitary organization

in West Asia

it has been making headlines off late

and for all the wrong reasons let me

show you some headlines

on the 6th of December the irgc Navy was

accused of harassing American ships in

the Strait of Hormuz

on the 8th of December reports said that

irgc flights to Beirut were apparently

carrying weapons for Hezbollah

on the 28th of November a Canadian Court

declared that irgc is a listed terrorist

group

and on the 19th of November a drone

launched from an irgc base targeted a

Liberian flagged oil tanker now these

were just a few instances there are many

more the irgc have been accused of

various violations crimes cyber attacks

and Espionage operations

this is why it has been designated a

terrorist organization by some countries

and which countries are these

there are a total of three Bahrain Saudi

Arabia and the United States

the United States has even offered a 15

million reward to anyone who offers

information about the irgc and its

operations

this just gives you an idea about the

might of this body the question is how

did it become so powerful and to answer

that we'll have to go back in history

the 1970s to be precise

this was a time when Iran was still a

secular monarchy it was ruled by shama

mother

the Shah relied on the military might to

safeguard his rule he also maintained a

secret police to enforce his will and

when the Shah was toppled the secret

police was dissolved the military on the

other hand was spared

but the clergy did not trust the

military

they feared it could launch a coup

and so to curb the military's power and

consolidate their rule they formed the

irgc a force loyal to the regime not the

country that's not all they even

produced a new Constitution which

provided for both a regular army or

artesh and a separate revolutionary

guard cold or sipai pazdaran

what this basically meant was that the

irgc was given both a constitutionally

legitimate existence and the legal right

to take political decisions

initially the group operated as a

domestic Force quelling the protests

against the regime

but things changed in 1980 when Saddam

Hussein invaded Iran

the rulers who did not trust the

military let this Force take center

stage in the war

and since then the irgc has expanded

into 31 divisions one each for Iran's 30

provinces and a Central Division in

Tehran

besides this the body also has a command

structure with various wings and

branches spread across Iran

the first one is busage or plain clothes

militia

it is a wing that looks after civil

Affairs the most visible symbol of the

irgc strengths

officers can be seen on the streets

daily maintaining Law and Order

enforcing the Sharia law and suppressing

any signs of descent

today this Force has a strength of 90

000 regulars and over 300 000 reservists

who are summoned in times of crisis

the second branch of the irgc is the

elite Goods Force

in Persian Goods means Pure or holy

this is a special operations unit

responsible for unconventional warfare

and Military Intelligence operations

think of it like a combination of

America's CIA and its joint Special

Operations Command the codes primarily

looking after extra territorial

operations and supporting non-state

actors in many countries

which non-state actors

mainly organizations like Hezbollah in

Lebanon Hamas in Palestine the

Palestinian Islamic Jihad the hudis in

Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq

Syria and Afghanistan how strong is this

Force

last we checked it comprised of around

two thousand to five thousand members

they function all over West Asia and

their operations are shrouded in secrecy

besides these two the irgc also has an

aerospace force a Navy Wing a ground

force unit a nuclear command core and a

separate intelligence agency

if we put all these wings and branches

together the overall strength of the

irgc ends up being over 250

000. that is nearly half the strength of

Iran's Armed Forces

which stands at 610

000 personnel and yet the irgc is way

more powerful than the Armed Forces

primarily because it's not just a

Defense Force it also controls a huge

slice of the Iranian economy

it's impossible to gauge how much

but Western estimates say the irgc

controls nearly two-thirds of Iran's

economy two-thirds

how exactly well the irgc virtually

controls every sector of the Iranian

market construction engineering

automobile real estate manufacturing all

of it

Reports say that in 2019 this

organization has been awarded over 750

contracts in different construction

fields and this includes dams highways

tunnels water supply systems and oil

pipelines

these contracts are mostly executed by

the khatam al-ambia the construction arm

of the irgc which controls 812

registered companies both within Iran

and outside

Reports say that today this body is the

most powerful wing of the irgc the

largest contractor for industrial and

developmental projects

the irgc also operates in part through

boneyards these are ostensibly

charitable foundations that operate as

huge holding companies they are used for

the enrichment of the clerics and to

maintain control over the Civil Society

next question

how much money does this body earn

according to the Los Angeles Times the

irgc has an annual revenue of 12 billion

dollars 12 billion there's no saying how

much of this goes into the coffers of

the clerics

what does this tell you

that the irgc runs like a corporation if

basically a business conglomerate with

guns

a conglomerate that has once again

strung into action courtesy the ongoing

anti-hijr protests in Iran

Reports say the irgc have launched a

massive Crackdown against the protesters

especially in Kurdistan a region that is

slowly becoming a refuge for Iranians

fleeing the government retaliation

the irgc is bombing this region

conducting missile and drone strikes one

such strike took place on the 14th of

November when two facilities belonging

to a Kurdish dissident group were bombed

and since then there have been a

plethora of attacks arrests detentions

and killings most of them have been

carried out by the irgc

my point is simple if the world wants to

support the ongoing movement in Iran

it will first have to call out the

atrocities of the irgc it will have to

work on dismantling this body's

Financial structure

it's illicit activities in West Asia

and its vast network of operatives all

over the world

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