As tensions continue to grow between the United States, Israel, and Iran, Iran’s military response has centered upon an everlasting institution – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – which has become the centrepiece of defense for the Iranian state and its regional network of allied militias.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a declaration to a March 6 message from U.S. President Donald Trump, demanding unconditional surrender from Iran. The Guards responded by stating that they were “fully prepared for a long-term war.” This was an indication of the significance of the IRGC as the key institution in Iran’s resistance during the current conflict.
A revolutionary force created to protect the regime
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was created as an elite paramilitary force to protect the Islamic Revolutionary regime established in Iran after the 1979 Revolution. The IRGC’s creation was necessary because the new leaders of Iran did not trust the traditional military of Iran that had previously served the previous monarchy of Shah Mohamad Reza Pahlavi.
To secure the revolutionary system established by his regime, Ruhollah Khomeini formed a parallel military force that reported directly to him; this new military force was assigned the duty of safeguarding both the Islamic political system from domestic and foreign threats and the revolutionary government’s interests in Iran.
The Iran-Iraq War transformed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into a powerful military institution between 1980 and 1988. During this war, the IRGC gained valuable battle-experiences, expanded their command structure, and developed their own military capabilities.
Today, the IRGC acts parallel to the regular Iranian military, known as the Artesh, making two parallel armed forces within the Republic of Iran. The Artesh protects the borders of Iran, while the IRGC protects the revolutionary state of Iran and creates influence and power externally.
Military power and influence across the state
The estimated personnel of the IRGC are approximately 125,000-190,000; therefore, its structure is divided between many branches of service: ground, naval, and aerospace (missile and drone) forces.
Additionally, the IRGC also has a naval force that patrols the Strait of Hormuz, which is strategically important, since a major percentage of the world’s oil transportation passes through this strait.
In addition to the military, the IRGC also has a stronghold in the political and economic systems of Iran. Analysts estimate that the IRGC has considerable amounts of economic power and influence from construction companies, energy projects and infrastructure contracts.
This dual-power arrangement, in a symbiotic relationship of military and economy, has created the IRGC as one of the most powerful and influential entities in Iran.
The Quds Force and the regional “axis of resistance”
The Quds Force is an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that conducts all Iranian operations outside of the Iranian borders and is responsible for coordination with the Iranian allies in the region.
Quds Force rose to prominence internationally under former commander Qassem Soleimani, who was instrumental in facilitating Iran’s expansion of power and influence throughout the Middle East until he was killed by the United States in 2020.
Through the Quds Force, Iran has constructed a network of like-minded groups around the region that are typically referred to as the “Resistance” axis. Some of the more notable examples of Iranian-supported resistance groups are Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and Iranian-supported Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.
The IRGC has utilized these networks to establish an extended Iranian strategic footprint throughout the Middle East and to resist the strategic interests of both the United States and Israel.
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The regime’s most powerful defender
According to many analysts the IRGC is the main force supporting the political system in Iran. The IRGC answers only to the Supreme Leader of Iran and has a significant role in determining Iranian security and foreign policy decisions.
Due to that level of responsibility and influence, the United States has designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
The Guards are at the core of Iran’s war strategy as the current conflict escalates. The IRGC continues to provide the military and ideological foundation for the Islamic Republic by defending the regime domestically and assisting allies abroad.
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