Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
From Themarshallwiki
The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Sepah e Pasdaran e Enqelab e Eslami) is an ideologically motivated branch[1] of the [Islamic Republic of Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran's]] military. Like many young Iranians during the 1980-88 Iran–Iraq War, Iran's current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a member of the Army of Guardians, specifically as a member of the Basij militia. English-speaking media usually use the term Iranian Revolutionary Guards ("IRG"). In the US media, the force is usually referred to as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ("IRGC"), although this force is rarely described as a "corps" by non-US media.
The Pásdárán have their own ministry, and are thought to number as many as 120,000 with their own small naval and air units. They also control the Basij volunteer force.
The IRGC has five arms:
- Ground Forces of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
- Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
- Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
- Basij
- Quds Force
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 IRGC are geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties. These include the control of smuggling, control of the Strait of Hormoz, and resistance operations. Thus, the role of the IRG will complement the more traditional role of the regular Iranian military with the two forces operating separately and focusing on different operational roles.
The IRG 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.
Contents |
Structure
Ground Forces of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
The Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution has several roles including air defence, and support for other AGIR branches, but its main role is operating and maintaining Iran's force of strategic ballistic missiles.
Aircraft
| Aircraft | Role | Number in service | Number acquired | Service entry | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu F-7M Airguard | Fighter | 24 | 24 | 1986 | China |
| Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot | Ground attack | 13 | 13 | 1991 | Russia (7 Iraq) |
| Embraer EMB 312 Tucano | Light attack | 40 | 40 | 1989 | Brazil |
| Antonov An-74TK-200 Coaler | Tactical transport | 11 | 11 | 1999 | Russia |
| Dassault Falcon/Mystere 20E | VIP transport | 1 | 1 | 1973 | France |
| Mil Mi-171 Hip-H | Transport helicopter | 27 | 27 | 2000 | Russia |
| Mil Mi-25 Hind-D | Attack helicopter | 16 | 16 | 1996 | Russia |
Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
Basij
Quds Force
The Quds Force (Niru e Qods), is a special unit of Iran's Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. Its mission is to organize, train, equip, and finance foreign Islamic revolutionary movements. It further states that the Quds Force maintains and builds contacts with underground Islamic militant organizations throughout the Islamic world.
The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It has a number of geographical directorates:
- Western countries
- Iraq
- Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India
- Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan
- Turkey
- North Africa
- Arabian peninsula
- Republics of the former USSR
Estimates of its size vary from 2000-50000.
Influence
Inside Iran
Political
As an elite group, members of Pasdaran have influence in Iran's political world. President Ahmadinejad is a veteran of the corp which he joined in 1985 serving first in military operation in Iraqi Kurdistan before leaving the front line to take charge of logistics. Nearly one third of the members elected to Iran's majlis in 2004 are "Pasdaran" according to analyst Roy Olivier.
Economic
The IRGC are thought to control around a third of Iran's economy through a series of subsidiaries and trusts. The Los Angeles Times estimates that IRGC ties to over one hundred companies that control more than $12 billion in business and construction. IRGC has been awarded billions of dollars in contracts in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, as well as major infrastructure projects.
Internationally
Through the Quds Force, the IRGC controls, or effectively influences political and terrorist movements across the world, especially the Middle East. It effectively controls Hizbollah in Lebanon, and northern Israel. It exerts a strong influence on Hamas, and is probably involved in the Iraq War through Shi'ite insurgent groups.
It is regarded as a terrorist organisation by the United States.
