Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
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| Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |
|---|
 |
| Command |
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Supreme Leader Commanders Joint Staff |
| Military branches |
|
Ground Forces Aerospace Force Navy Quds Force Basij |
| Intelligence agencies |
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Intelligence Organization Intelligence Protection Organization |
| Personnel |
| Ranks insignia |
| Facilities |
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Imam Hossein University Baqiyatallah University University of Command and Staff Amir Al-Momenin University |
| Branches & Manpower | |
| Quds Force | estimated 2,000 |
| Basij | 11,000,000 (2005 est.) |
| IRGC Navy | 20,000 (2005 est.) |
| IRGC Air Force | (unknown) |
| IRGC Ground Forces | (unknown) |
| Commander in Chief | |
| Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi | |
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) (Persian (Farsi): سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی - Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Islami), also known as the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution,Army of Guardians (Sepah-e Pasdaran), or the Guardians (Pasdaran), is the largest[1] armed force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the western media the force is also commonly referred to as the Revolutionary Guards[2].
The IRGC is separate from, and parallel to, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. It is equipped with its own ground forces, navy, air force, intelligence[3], and special forces. It also controls the basij militia.
History
The force's main role is in national security, responsible for internal and border security, as well as law enforcement. It is also responsible for Iran's missile forces. The operations of the AGIR are geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties. These include the control of smuggling, control of the Strait of Hormoz, and resistance operations.[4]
Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war, some efforts were made to create a joint command between the regular army and the IRGC, but these have been limited in scope and have not had a major impact. [citation needed] Ultimately, it seems that the two forces will operate separately but focus on different operational roles.[5]
The IRGC were formed in May, 1979, as a force loyal to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, but later became a full military force alongside the army in the Iran-Iraq War. It was infamous for its human wave attacks such as during Operation Ramadan, an assault on the city of Basra.
The present Chief Commander of the IRGC is Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi who was preceded by Mohsen Rezaee. Iran's current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a member of the the basij militia, subordinate to the AGIR, during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
Lebanon and Hezbollah
The IRGC's logo was inspiration for the logo of Hezbollah. It has also been claimed that the IRGC has given many of the Hezbollah resistance fighters military training in their Bekaa military bases during the early eighties.[6]
During the Lebanese civil war, the IRGC allegedly sent troops to train resistance fighters in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon[7]. In Lebanon, political parties had staunch opinions regarding the IRGC's presence. Some, mainly the Christian militias such as the Lebanese Forces, Phalanges, and most of the right-wing Christian groups declared war on the IRGC, claiming they violated Lebanese sovereignty. Others were neutral. Groups such as the PSP and Mourabiton did not approve of their presence, but to serve political alliances they decided to remain silent on the matter. This presence has also later been linked to the disappearance of four Iranian diplomats in Lebanon, with the Lebanese Forces being the main culprits.
Other sides have expressed concern but remained neutral as they saw the IRGC's presence in Lebanon as another resistance against Israel. This came despite the ongoing fight between the Shiaa Amal militias and the PLO. These sides were mostly Sunni militias, such as the Mourabiton, who were allies with the PLO.
The IRGC in Lebanon were later incorporated in the Islamic Resistance, and were known as the Jihad movement. The 'Jihad' claimed responsibly for several attacks against US Marines and French paratroopers. They were later called The Islamic Resistance of Lebanon and were known as the military branch of Hezbollah.
The IRGC and Iraq
The IRGC involvement in Iraq has been a heavily disputed issue of late. The U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) has claimed that it has intelligence reports of heavy Revolutionary GuardS involvement in Iraq in which the force is supplying Shia militias, including the Mahdi Army. This claim was substantiated by alleged findings that US soldiers were killed by Iranian-made missiles and bombs, as well as the capture of Quds soldiers in January 2007 in Northern Iraq.
According to U.S., this alleged involvement has also fueled the sectarian conflict in Iraq, as Shia militias are fighting Sunnis throughout Iraq. The alleged evidence indicates involvement of the AGIR's Quds Force.
References and notes
- ^ http://memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1314
- ^ [1][2][3]
- ^ http://www.janes.co.uk/security/international_security/news/jdw/jdw061004_1_n.shtml
- ^ http://www.janes.co.uk/defence/news/jwar/jwar060829_1_n.shtml
- ^ http://www.janes.co.uk/defence/news/jwar/jwar060829_1_n.shtml
- ^ (Baer, R, See No Evil, 2002, Three Rivers Press, page 250)
- ^ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/inside/govt.html#snsc
See also
- Military history of Iran
- Baqiyatallah Medical Sciences University, operated by the AGIR
- Ali Movahedi-Kermani
- Ali-Reza Asgari
External links
- AP: U.S. envoy: Iran Revolutionary Guards Quds Force director detained
- Iranian Military Pictures & videos
- Foxes in Iran's Henhouse, a New York Times article about the role of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran's power structure
- link to GlobalSecurity.org
- AGIR navy, air forces to launch wargame in Persian Gulf, Oman Sea
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