Find out about the nature and capabilities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that carried out the attack that shocked the United States.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks on targets near the northern Iraqi city of Erbil on Monday night.

The attack caused the death of four civilians and the injury of six others according to the Kurdistan Regional Government

The United States condemned these attacks, and a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United States said, "We are against the reckless missiles carried out by Iran, which undermine the stability of Iraq."

These attacks were not targeted at American facilities, and there were no casualties among the American forces, as two American officials confirmed to Reuters news agency

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their attack targeted "espionage and gathering centers of anti-Iranian terrorist groups" in the Iraqi city of Erbil, a claim denied by regional officials, who said the strike targeted the home. a Kurdish businessman. in Erbil.

In order to answer the question, what are the revolutionary guard forces, it is necessary to review the foundation of this force and its purpose.

This force was established in 1979 to protect the emerging new regime and to create a kind of balance of power in the armed forces of Iran.

The power of the Revolutionary Guards

After the fall of the Shah dynasty in Iran, the new authorities realized that they needed a large army dedicated to the goals of the new regime and to defend the values ​​and principles of the revolution.

The leaders drafted a new constitution that included regular military forces, which were tasked with protecting the country's borders and maintaining internal security, and the Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran), which was tasked with protecting the ruling regime.

On the ground, the roles of the two forces mentioned above have always overlapped. For example, the Revolutionary Guards also carry out public security support operations, and are constantly strengthening their forces, sea and air.

Over time, the Revolutionary Guards have transformed into a military, political and economic force in Iran.

The Commander-in-Chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, plays a major role in carrying out the tasks assigned to him by the Supreme Leader of the Revolution.

Later, the 'Basij' forces, which are the special forces and the revolutionary guards, were merged with the new strategy of the revolutionary forces under the orders of the supreme leader.

The main task of the Revolutionary Army now is to first prevent the threats from the internal enemies, and to help the army to prevent the threats from the outside.

The Revolutionary Guards are estimated to number around 125,000, have ground forces, in addition to naval and air force units, and monitor Iran's strategic weapons.

 

Iran's Basij forces

These forces are known as the Mobilization Forces or Nationalist Forces and are linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards which are believed to consist of about 90,000 men and women, capable of mobilizing up to one million volunteers. need.

 

One of the most important tasks of the organized forces of the Basij is to prevent movements against the regime in Iran, as happened in 2009 when riots broke out in the country after the announcement that Mohamud Ahmed Najad won the election.

Members of the Basij opposed the demonstration in support of another candidate, Mirhossein Mousavi

Quds forces

The Quds Force is part of the Revolutionary Guards and carries out critical operations abroad, such as providing weapons and training to groups close to Iran, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia groups in Iraq after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. .

Quds Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani, whom Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described as a "living martyr" has built extensive connections in the region from Yemen to Syria, Iraq and other countries, to become the most prominent face of Iran's level of influence in In these countries, it was not uncommon for him to appear on the front lines of the war against the Shiite fighters in Syria and Iraq.

Their wide influence

The Revolutionary Guards are related to the Supreme Leader of the country who holds the position of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the Leader has used his power to expand the power and strengthen the power of the Army.

It is believed that this Guard controls a third of Iran's economy, with the control of many organizations, charitable funds, and companies working in various fields.

It is the third richest organization in Iran after Iran Oil Company and Imam Reza Endowment.

Their roles abroad

he Revolutionary Guards outnumber the regular Iranian army and are considered a powerful military force, many of which carry out large-scale operations at home and abroad.

During the war in Syria, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps lost some of its famous commanders, including Major General Hussein Hamedani, who was the commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria, during the fighting in Syria, especially in the countryside. Aleppo.

It is also believed that the Revolutionary Guards have special spies or are stationed in Iranian embassies around the world, with these elements said to carry out intelligence operations, set up training camps, and help provide support to Iran's allies abroad. .

The Quds Force is the IRGC's most prominent branch abroad.

This army provides weapons, money and training to their allies in the Middle East, including their allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon who are loyal to Iran.

Dr. Sanam Vikal from the research center of Chatham House in international affairs in London said that the Iranian government sees the United States as its biggest enemy by supporting allied groups in their attacks in the region.

The United States has accused the Quds Force and Iran-backed groups of killing hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

The European Parliament has passed a resolution to support the designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group, but EU member states must approve the move.

The United States added Iran's Revolutionary Guard to its terrorist list in 2019 due to the IRGC's increased support for armed groups such as Hezbollah.