Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Role in conflict

The IRGC is the principal Iranian institution responsible for external operations, missile and drone development, and the relationship with allied armed groups. Its branches include ground, naval, and aerospace components, the paramilitary Basij, and the Quds Force for foreign operations. The Quds Force is the day-to-day operator of Iran's proxy network and the institution most often named in reporting on Iranian regional activity.

Objectives

• Maintain and grow the regional armed-partner network
• Develop missile and drone capability to offset conventional inferiority
• Preserve revolutionary ideological character of the system

Constraints

• US Foreign Terrorist Organisation designation limits financial mobility
• Targeted-killing risk to senior personnel