Revolutionary Guards IRGC

The IRGC is one of the most powerful organizations in Iran, conceived as the principal defender of the 1979 revolution, and now a critical link to Islamist militant groups violently opposed to Israel and the United States.

Created after the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps answers directly to the Supreme Leader.
The IRGC supports militant groups in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Yemen. This “axis of resistance” aims to rid the region of Western and Israeli influence.

The Corps’ reported role in brutal crackdowns on protesters in January 2026 sparked international outrage, leading the European Union and other major bodies to condemn the group and designate it a terrorist organization.