Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Iran's ideological military force, established in 1979 to protect the Islamic revolution, parallel to and often more powerful than the regular armed forces. The IRGC commands the Quds Force (Iran's extraterritorial operations arm), controls significant economic enterprises, and plays a major role in domestic politics. It directly oversees Iran's ballistic missile program and its network of regional proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. The IRGC is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.