On April 22, 1979, in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), fundamentally reshaping Iran’s internal structure and its regional presence. Created as a counterbalance to the traditional Iranian military and designed to safeguard the ideology of the newly installed regime, the IRGC has emerged over 46 years as the most dominant force within the Islamic Republic—central to the country’s governance, economy, and foreign policy, while acting as the chief instrument for Iranian interference and terror across the Middle East.
Foundation and Ideological Mission
The roots of the IRGC lie in the revolution’s drive to entrench the authority of Iran’s new theocracy. Suspicious of the Shah’s former army, Khomeini insisted on a separate, ideologically charged military body sworn to protect ‘revolutionary values’ and eliminate opposition. This force quickly evolved from suppressing dissent into an expansive apparatus responsible for enforcing domestic order and asserting Iran’s vision abroad.
Expansion into a Parallel State
Today, the IRGC is estimated to command upwards of 150,000 members, with influence extending across every facet of Iranian society. Beyond its renowned military branches, including the elite Quds Force, the IRGC wields authority over intelligence, internal security, and surveillance, guaranteeing the regime’s survival against both foreign and domestic adversaries. Its leaders have penetrated the highest political offices and shaped the direction of national policy from behind the scenes.
One of the IRGC’s most consequential expansions has been economic. Through vast networks of front companies—most notably the engineering conglomerate Khatam-al Anbiya—the IRGC dominates sectors including construction, energy, telecommunications, and banking. Analysts suggest that IRGC-controlled entities account for a significant portion of Iran’s non-oil economy, allowing the Guards to sideline private competition and amass independent resources that reinforce their political power.
Agent of Regional Destabilization and Proxy Warfare
Perhaps the IRGC’s most defining role has been its sponsorship and direction of terrorism throughout the region. The Quds Force, the IRGC’s external operations arm, provides training, weapons, and funding to terrorist proxies including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and various armed factions in Iraq and Syria.
In Lebanon, the IRGC has transformed Hezbollah into both a political powerbroker and a sophisticated terror army with an arsenal numbering upwards of 150,000 rockets—posing a constant threat to Israel’s northern border. In Gaza, Hamas, responsible for ongoing rocket attacks and the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israeli civilians, remains heavily reliant on IRGC expertise, material support, and ideological inspiration.
The IRGC also underwrites insurgent activity in Yemen, where the Houthis threaten shipping lanes and regional allies, and directs Iraqi and Syrian militias in campaigns that have destabilized those states and targeted U.S. and Israeli interests. Collectively, these proxies form the backbone of what Tehran calls the “axis of resistance”—a network designed to encircle Israel, undermine Sunni Arab governments, and drive Western influence from the Middle East.
Impact on Israel and Regional Security
Since its inception, the IRGC has identified Israel as an existential adversary. The regime’s repeated vows to destroy Israel are translated into reality through the arming and training of terror groups along Israel’s borders. The October 7 massacre by Hamas—widely considered the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust—was, according to Israeli intelligence, made possible by years of IRGC funding, tactical guidance, and weapons transfers. Israel’s current military campaigns in Gaza and defensive measures in the north are acts of self-defense against the Iranian-directed jihadist apparatus threatening its existence.
IDF officials, under the leadership of Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, describe the struggle against IRGC-linked forces as a defining challenge for Israeli national security, and for global efforts to curtail terrorism. The IRGC’s influence complicates peace efforts and ensures that every escalation in Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria risks igniting a broader regional conflict.
Integration with the Iranian State
Inside Iran, the IRGC operates not just as a military guardian, but as a pillar of political and economic life. Its leaders have risen to the upper echelons of government, parliament, and the judiciary. The IRGC oversees a network of educational and religious institutions that propagate anti-Western and anti-Israel doctrine and manage youth indoctrination programs designed to secure loyalty to the regime.
Economically, their dominance further entrenches inequality and stifles dissent. Through preferential access to contracts and state resources, IRGC commanders control lucrative construction projects, infrastructure development, and a shadow economy resilient to external sanctions—the latter of which, despite attempts at international pressure, have yet to fundamentally weaken the organization’s grip.
Instrument of Domestic Repression
The IRGC’s Basij militia is routinely deployed to crush protests and opposition. The history of the Islamic Republic features repeated, violent confrontations between the regime and Iranian citizens demanding reform, from the 2009 Green Movement to the 2019 fuel protests and the 2022 unrest triggered by the killing of Mahsa Amini. In each, the IRGC and its affiliates have served as the regime’s primary enforcer, responsible for mass arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings meant to instill fear and secure the ayatollah’s rule.
For many ordinary Iranians, the IRGC’s foreign adventures—particularly its support for terror proxies and wars outside Iran’s borders—are a source of resentment. These costly interventions drain resources from an ailing economy and exacerbate the repression and hardship faced at home, but IRGC-aligned elites continue to profit and expand their influence.
International Recognition and Sanctions
In recognition of its terror activities and destabilizing violence, the United States formally designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. Other Western governments have blacklisted IRGC leaders and imposed targeted sanctions, though divisions among international partners and the IRGC’s deep embedding within Iranian institutions have complicated enforcement.
Despite these measures, the IRGC continues to adapt, leveraging evasion schemes, illicit networks, and support from aligned states. Its commanders extol resistance to outside pressure as justification for continued expansion at home and aggression abroad.
The Ongoing Threat and Israel’s Response
For Israel, the IRGC represents the single greatest strategic threat—from missile stockpiles in Lebanon to sophisticated smuggling operations in Gaza and the persistent radicalization of armed proxies across the region. Israeli leadership, reaffirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, maintains that countering the IRGC and its terror networks is essential to securing Israel’s future and defending regional stability.
Precision strikes, cyber operations, and intelligence-sharing with allies remain central to Israeli defense doctrine. Each confrontation with Iranian proxies—from major operations in Syria to Iron Swords in Gaza—reflects the reality that the conflict is not bilateral, but a battle against an Iran-led axis seeking Israel’s destruction.
Looking Ahead
As the IRGC marks 46 years since its inception, it remains at the heart of Iranian strategy and the principal architect of a regional order defined by terror, repression, and resistance to Western values. Its ability to both stifle dissent at home and orchestrate aggression abroad poses a persistent obstacle to peace in the Middle East. The legacy of the IRGC is one of deepened conflict, enabling atrocities like the October 7 massacre and stoking the wider war that Israel must fight to defend not just its borders, but the principles of democracy and security in an unstable region.
The challenge for the international community, and especially for Israel, remains clear: sustained vigilance, enhanced intelligence cooperation, and the unwavering assertion of the right to self-defense are necessary to counter the IRGC and curb its malign influence. Only through a concerted, principled strategy can the tide of extremism and violence emanating from Iran be reversed, paving the way for a more secure and stable Middle East.
