Iranian Revolutionary Guard
| Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی (Persian) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1979–present |
| Country |
 Iran
|
| Allegiance | Supreme Leader of Iran |
| Branch | |
| Size | ≈120,000–125,000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Tehran |
| Motto(s) | "Prepare against them what force you can." (وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ) [Quran 8:60] |
| Engagements |
1979 Kurdish rebellion Lebanese Civil War Iran–Iraq War War on Terrorism (Battle for Herat) Balochistan conflict Iran–PJAK conflict Syrian Civil War Iraqi Civil War (2014–present) War on ISIL |
| Commanders | |
| Chief Commander | Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari |
| Quds Force | Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani |
| Chief of the Joint Staff | Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hejazi |
| IRGC Ground Forces | Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour |
| IRGC Aerospace Force | Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh |
| IRGC Navy | Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi |
| Mobilization forces | Brig. Gen. Gholamhossein Gheybparvar |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Persian: سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enqelāb-e Eslāmi, or Sepāh for short), often called Revolutionary Guards or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by the English-speaking or U.S. media, is a branch of Iran's Armed Forces, founded after the Iranian revolution on 5 May 1979.
The IRGC is considered to be a terrorist organization by the United States. It combines traditional military roles with a focus on the opposition inside Iran, that is considered as domestic enemies. The IRGC is also Iran’s main connection to its terrorist proxies, which the Iranian regime uses to boost its global influence with. This is mainly done through the IRGC’s Quds Force (IRGC-QF). The Quds Force focuses in foreign assignments.[1] It provides training, funds and supplies weapons to extremist groups, including Iraqi insurgents, Hezbollah, and Hamas. The Quds Force is alleged to have been involved in the 1994 suicide bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentine, killing over 80 and wounding about 300; and for attempting to assassinate the Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States in 2011.[2]
Whereas the regular military (artesh) defends Iran's borders and maintains internal order, according to the Iranian constitution, the Revolutionary Guard (pasdaran) is intended to protect the country's Islamic system. The Revolutionary Guards state that their role in protecting the Islamic system is preventing foreign interference as well as coups by the military or "deviant movements".
The Revolutionary Guards have roughly 125,000 military personnel including ground, aerospace and naval forces. Its naval forces are now the primary forces tasked with operational control of the Persian Gulf. It also controls the paramilitary Basij militia which has about 90,000 active personnel. Its media arm is Sepah News.
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