Honestly, when most people hear ‘Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,’ they probably just think it’s one of Iran’s military branches. But actually, they’re quite different from what we typically imagine as a conventional army. To truly understand Iranian power, you need to properly understand this organization. With the current situation in Iran being utterly chaotic, the role of the Revolutionary Guard is becoming increasingly important. You’d be surprised to learn what kind of organization they really are!

Why was the Revolutionary Guard created, and what does it do?

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was formed immediately after the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution. At the time, Supreme Leader Khomeini distrusted the regular army, which had been loyal to the former Pahlavi dynasty, and decided that a loyal guard was needed to protect the revolutionary forces. So, in short, their main mission is to protect Iran’s Islamic system. While the regular army handles border defense, the Revolutionary Guard focuses on safeguarding the Islamic system from external interference, military coups, and ‘deviant acts.’ The fact that it’s an official institution enshrined in the Iranian constitution gives you an idea of its status, doesn’t it?

Military power is just the beginning; they control the economy and society too.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is not just a military organization that fires guns. It has its own ground forces, navy, air force, and even intelligence warfare units. Its personnel number 125,000, and it is known to possess much more modern equipment and better-qualified personnel than the regular army. What’s particularly noteworthy is that the Revolutionary Guard holds command and control over Iran’s long-range ballistic missiles.
But that’s not all. This organization wields immense influence across Iran’s politics, economy, and foreign policy. They even handle the suppression of domestic protests, resorting to violent crackdowns using snipers and machine guns during anti-government demonstrations in 2019 and 2022. Isn’t that a completely different scale?

Specialists in Overseas Operations: the ‘Quds Force‘ and Internal Control: the ‘Basij‘

Within the Revolutionary Guard, there are two more core organizations: the Quds Force, a special unit responsible for overseas operations, and the Basij militia, which handles domestic protest suppression and social control.

• Quds Force: This is an elite special force that reports directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader. It supports pro-Iranian armed groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and is actively involved in overseas conflict zones such as the Syrian civil war. The fact that the commander of the Quds Force’s Unit 840 was eliminated on April 6, 2026, indicates how important a target they are.
• Basij Militia: This is a volunteer militia under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, primarily responsible for maintaining domestic security and social control. They recruit young people by offering benefits such as military exemption and university admission, and they have branches in almost every city and village in Iran, implementing the state’s social control. In March 2026, the death of the Basij militia’s overall commander was also confirmed.

2026: The International Community’s View of the Revolutionary Guard

The international community does not view the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps favorably. The United States designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in 2019, and the European Union (EU) followed suit on January 28, 2026. Many other countries, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Israel, have done the same. Even in 2026, the head of intelligence for the Revolutionary Guard was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes, placing them at the center of international conflict.
As such, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is more than just a military organization in Iran; it is the heart of the Iranian system and a key player that profoundly influences international affairs. The Middle East will fluctuate depending on their movements, so we must continue to monitor them closely.

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The veiled ‘shadow power,’ who is he?

Mojtaba Khamenei was born in Mashhad, Iran, in 1969. He is the second son of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Although he has rarely held official public office, he is known to have exerted immense influence behind the scenes of Iranian politics.
Notably, he gained power by forging close relationships with key figures within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and intelligence and security agencies over decades. Furthermore, he holds the clerical rank of ‘Hojatoleslam,’ which is lower than Ayatollah, and since the position of Supreme Leader typically requires religious authority of Grand Ayatollah or higher, his ascension was reportedly highly controversial religiously.
His name began to be known to the public in 2005 when he was suspected of orchestrating the election of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and in 2009 when he was implicated in suppressing anti-government protests during the disputed election. Looking at these incidents, it seems he has truly done a lot of work quietly behind the scenes.

March 8, 2026: The Truth of His Ascension to Supreme Leader

On February 28, 2026, a shocking incident occurred: former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei died in an airstrike by the United States and Israel. Shortly thereafter, on March 8, the Assembly of Experts, the constitutional body that elects Iran’s Supreme Leader, announced the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the third Supreme Leader.
But here’s the irony: Iran overthrew the hereditary rule of the Pahlavi dynasty through the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Yet, with the son succeeding his father as Supreme Leader, criticisms erupted that it ‘directly clashes with the ideals of the revolution.’ There were even rumors that Ali Khamenei himself did not wish for his son to succeed him during his lifetime.
However, there were also reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strongly supported Mojtaba as Supreme Leader and pressured members of the Assembly of Experts. Former US President Donald Trump even warned, “If Mojtaba becomes leader without our approval, he won’t last long.” The situation is truly complex, isn’t it?

The Vanished Supreme Leader? Recent Rumors of His Health and Iran’s Response

Recently, in early April 2026, rumors of Mojtaba Khamenei‘s health issues arose after he failed to appear in public since his election as Supreme Leader. There were even rumors that he was seriously injured in US and Israeli airstrikes and transferred to Russia.
Former President Trump again fueled the rumors, claiming, “Mojtaba is dead or in a very serious condition. There’s no news at all.” However, Iran and Russia immediately refuted these rumors. The Russian Ambassador to Iran stated, “Mojtaba remains in Iran but is not engaging in public activities for understandable reasons.”
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB released new photos of him, and Mojtaba even conveyed a message urging the public to plant fruit trees in commemoration of martyrs on ‘Nature’s Day.’ Seeing this situation, it’s personally quite intriguing to me that there are various discussions within Iran about his presence and health.
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Mojtaba Khamenei, in what direction will he lead Iran’s future? From being a power behind the scenes to becoming the Supreme Leader, his actions will likely continue to draw global attention.
In this turbulent international situation, the outcome of Iran’s choices will be an important point for all of us to watch.

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