The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, founded after the Iranian Revolution on 22 April 1979 by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Whereas the Iranian Army defends Iranian borders and maintains internal order, according to the Iranian constitution, the Revolutionary Guard (pasdaran) is intended to protect the country's Islamic republic political system. The Revolutionary Guards base their role in protecting the Islamic system as well as preventing foreign interference and coups by the military or "deviant movements".
Mohsen Rezaee Mirgha'ed is an Iranian conservative politician affiliated with the Resistance Front of Islamic Iran and senior military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who currently holds office as the secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council.
The Basij, Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij, full name Sāzmān-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin, is one of the five forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A paramilitary volunteer militia established in Iran in 1979 by order of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian Revolution, the organization originally consisted of civilian volunteers who were urged by Khomeini to fight in the Iran–Iraq War.
The Ground Forces of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, acronymed NEZSA, are the force which the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, also known as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), maintain in parallel to the regular army of Iran. In addition to their conventional military role, the revolutionary guards' ground forces are more geared towards internal disorder than the regular army. However, in late years, the IRGC Ground Forces and by extension the entire IRGC, have transitioned to becoming an expeditionary force, capable of projecting power abroad, through conventional military operations or via proxies and unconventional warfare. There are around 100,000 IRGC Ground Force troops.
The Iranian Armed Forces comprise the Army (Artesh), the Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepāh) and the Law Enforcement Force (Police) of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Qasem Soleimani was an Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and, from 1998 until his death in 2020, commander of its Quds Force, a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. In his later years, he was considered the second most powerful person in Iran behind Ayatollah Khamenei. and his right-hand man.
Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam was an Iranian military officer in the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and designer of Iran's ballistic missile project. He was the chief of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He founded Iran's long-range missile program and sought the expertise and blueprint designs from North Korea in order to help develop Iran's missile technology. He designed the Shahab, Ghadr and Sejjil missiles with an operational range of more than 1,000–2,000 kilometres to target Israel. For these reasons he is regarded as the father of Iran's missile program. He was killed on 12 November 2011 in the Bid Kaneh explosion, at a military base belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 25 miles west of Iran's capital, Tehran.
The Supreme Leader of Iran, also referred to as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, but officially called the Supreme Leadership Authority, is the head of state, self appointed political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The armed forces, judiciary, state television, and other key government organizations are subject to the Supreme Leader. The current longtime officeholder, Ali Khamenei, has been issuing decrees and making the final decisions on economy, environment, foreign policy, education, national planning, and other aspects of governance in Iran. Khamenei also makes the final decisions on the amount of transparency in elections, and has dismissed and reinstated presidential cabinet appointees. The Supreme Leader directly chooses the ministers of Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, as well as certain other ministers, such as the Science Minister. Iran's regional policy is directly controlled by the office of the Supreme Leader with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' task limited to protocol and ceremonial occasions. All of Iran's ambassadors to Arab countries, for example, are chosen by the Quds Force, which directly report to the Supreme Leader.
Mousa Refan also known as Akbar Refan, is an Iranian electrical engineer and former military officer.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic are close strategic allies, and Iran has provided significant support for the Syrian Government in the Syrian Civil War, including logistical, technical and financial support, as well as training and some combat troops. Iran sees the survival of the Syrian government as being crucial to its regional interests. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, was reported in September 2011 to be vocally in favor of the Syrian government. When the uprising developed into the Syrian Civil War, there were increasing reports of Iranian military support, and of Iranian training of NDF both in Syria and Iran.
The Fath Medal is a military award of the Iranian armed forces which is awarded by Commander-in-chief, Supreme Leader of Iran. The medal is the likeness of three Palm leaves over Khorramshahr's grand mosque, Flag of Iran and the word "Fath".
Hossein Salami is an Iranian military officer with the rank of Major general, who is the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Joint Staff of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, formerly called General Staff, was the chief of staff of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with an aim to coordinate its military branches; and responsible for organization, support, and supervision of all executive affairs within the military. The office was originally created in late 1984 General Provost of IRGC was a subdivision to the Joint Staff.
Mohammad Bagheri, born Mohammad-Hossein Afshordi, is an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military commander serving at the most senior military position available in Iran, Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He holds the rank of Major General within the Iranian military.
2016–present clashes in West Iran refers to the ongoing military clashes between Kurdish insurgent party Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which began in April 2016. Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and Komalah expressed their support to the Kurdish cause of PDKI as well, with both clashing with Iranian security forces in 2016 and 2017 respectively. In parallel, a leftist Iranian Kurdish rebel group PJAK resumed military activities against Iran in 2016, following a long period of stalemate.
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: نظام جمهوری اسلامی ایران, romanized: Neẓām-e jomhūrī-e eslāmi-e Irān, known simply as Neẓām, is the ruling state and current political system in Iran, in power since the Islamic revolution and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979.
Farmandehe Koll-e Qova, formerly known as Bozorg Arteshtaran, is the ultimate authority of all the Armed Forces of Iran and the highest possible military position within the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the Constitution of Iran, the position is vested in the Supreme Leader of Iran and is held since 1981.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr is an Iranian retired military commander who currently serves as the deputy for strategic, societal–security and crime prevention affairs in the Judicial system of Iran. He is former Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mostafa Izadi is an Iranian senior military officer in the Revolutionary Guards with the rank of Major general. He is a former commander of the IRGC's Ground Force.
