War on Iran: How the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps underpins the republic

Often called a state within a state, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a deeply conservative organisation that has underpinned Iran’ s establishment for decades and directed much of its response to attacks by the US and Israel this year. Conceived as a protector of the Iranian revolution, the guard has hundreds of thousands of troops who are distinct from Iran’s official army. It is also unelected, sitting alongside Iran’s elected officials under the ultimate authority of the supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei . The IRGC was founded in March 1979 by commanders of the conservative militias that helped overthrow the western-backed Shah Reza Pahlavi the previous month.