Summary
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Eslami, in everyday Persian simply Sepah — is the armed force created in May 1979 to protect Iran's new political order. It is separate from the regular army, answers directly to the Supreme Leader, and combines a military, an intelligence service, a domestic militia, a foreign operations arm and one of the country's largest business empires. It is the institution most often named in documentation of protest killings, detentions and executions in Iran.
Structure
- Ground Forces — provincial corps covering every province, used for internal security as much as defence.
- Navy — fast attack craft and coastal forces in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, operating separately from the regular navy.
- Aerospace Force — holds Iran's ballistic missile and much of its drone programme.
- Quds Force — extraterritorial branch running relationships with armed groups across the region.
- Basij Resistance Force — mass volunteer militia embedded in schools, universities, mosques and workplaces.
- Intelligence Organisation — a parallel security service with its own detention wings, including sections of Evin prison.
From revolutionary committees to a state within the state
The Sepah was assembled in 1979 out of revolutionary committees and armed groups loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini, at a moment when the new leadership did not trust the officer corps of the imperial army. The Iran–Iraq war of 1980–1988 turned it into a mass fighting force and gave it institutional prestige, a veteran network, and the beginnings of a reconstruction business. In the decades since, that business has grown into holdings across construction, oil and gas services, telecommunications, ports and shipping, most visibly through the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters.
Role inside Iran
The Guard's stated mission is to defend the revolution, which has been interpreted to cover internal dissent. IRGC provincial units, its intelligence organisation and Basij militia have taken the leading role in suppressing each major protest wave: the 2009 Green Movement, the November 2019 fuel protests, the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, and the January 2026 crackdown. Its intelligence branch operates its own interrogation wings, and cases documented by rights organisations describe prolonged solitary confinement, forced confessions broadcast on state television, and executions following trials lasting minutes.
Sanctions and terrorist designations
The Quds Force was sanctioned by the United States in 2007. In April 2019 the United States designated the IRGC in full as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the first time it had applied that label to part of another state. Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in June 2024. The European Union maintains extensive sanctions on IRGC commanders, the Basij and the Guard's economic entities, and the European Parliament has voted several times for a full listing, which member states have so far declined to adopt. The United Kingdom sanctions IRGC individuals and entities without a full proscription.
Why the distinction matters
Reporting that attributes a killing to "the police" or "the authorities" often obscures which body acted. Casualty documentation from Iran distinguishes between the police (FARAJA), the Guidance Patrol, plainclothes Basij, and IRGC intelligence, because responsibility, chain of command and legal accountability differ in each case. Naming the Sepah accurately in a specific incident is a factual claim that requires evidence — witness accounts, unit insignia, ballistic evidence or leaked internal documents — and the entries in our victims database record the attributed force where it is documented.
Frequently asked questions
What does IRGC stand for?
IRGC stands for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In Persian it is Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Eslami, usually shortened to Sepah. It is a separate armed force from Iran's regular army, the Artesh.
What is the difference between the Sepah and the Iranian army?
The Artesh is the conventional national army, tasked with defending Iran's borders. The Sepah (IRGC) was created in 1979 to defend the revolution itself, which in practice means protecting the political system from internal as well as external threats. It has its own ground forces, navy, air force, missile command, intelligence organisation, the Basij militia and the extraterritorial Quds Force.
Who controls the IRGC?
The commander-in-chief is the Supreme Leader, currently Ali Khamenei, who appoints its commanders directly. It does not report to the elected president or parliament in the way ministries do.
What is the Basij?
The Basij Resistance Force is a mass volunteer militia subordinate to the IRGC, with branches in schools, universities, mosques and workplaces. Basij units are routinely deployed against demonstrators and are named in most casualty documentation from Iran's protest crackdowns.
Is the IRGC designated as a terrorist organisation?
The United States designated the IRGC in its entirety as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in April 2019, and had already sanctioned the Quds Force. Canada listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in 2024. The European Union has sanctioned numerous IRGC commanders and entities and its parliament has repeatedly voted for a full listing, which member states have not enacted.
How is the IRGC involved in Iran's economy?
Through engineering conglomerates such as Khatam al-Anbiya and a network of foundations and holding companies, the IRGC controls large shares of construction, energy, telecommunications and port infrastructure, and is widely reported to run parallel import channels outside customs oversight.
What role has the IRGC played in protest crackdowns?
IRGC ground units, its intelligence organisation and Basij militia have led the suppression of the 2009 Green Movement, the November 2019 fuel protests, the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising and the January 2026 crackdown, in which rights groups documented mass casualties and mass detentions.
Sources
- United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran
- Amnesty International — Iran
- Human Rights Watch — Iran
- US Department of State — Foreign Terrorist Organizations list
- Public Safety Canada — Listed terrorist entities
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