Since the establishment of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (also known as Sepah or Pasdaran in Iran) the organization has been involved in economic and military activities, some of them controversial.
In 1993, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Naghdi as deputy director of intelligence of the Quds Force, a branch of the IRGC responsible for international operations.
[5] Yet at the same time, IRGC and Basij forces have been commended for their positive role in fighting illegal smuggling—a further illustration of the institution’s multidimensional and frequently contradictory nature.
According to Jane's Information Group: Any Hezbollah member receiving military training is likely to do so at the hands of IRGC [the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps], either in southern Lebanon or in camps in Iran.
Subsequently, the IRGC enhanced its military assistance to Hamas, providing training and components that enabled the group to develop its own drones and missiles for use against Israel.
[8] According to Reuters, as of 2024, commanders from IRGC and Hezbollah are present in Yemen, assisting the Houthi movement in directing and overseeing attacks on Red Sea shipping.
[10] The United States Department of Defense has repeatedly asserted IRG involvement in the Iraq War against Iranian denials, though the U.S. has stopped short of saying the central government of Iran is responsible for the actions.
[22] Security analysts with the Center for Defense Information, along with one senior Pentagon official, suggested that some of the weapons have probably made their way in to the hands of Iraqi insurgents.
[14][15] In November 2008, the U.S. State Department prepared to slap a multimillion-dollar fine on Blackwater (renamed to Academi since 2011) for shipping hundreds of automatic weapons to Iraq without the necessary permits.
The investigation uncovered evidence that Moore, 37, a computer expert from Lincoln was targeted because he was installing a system for the Iraqi government that would show how a vast amount of international aid was diverted to Iran's militia groups in Iraq.
[25] According to the Telegraph, following Iran's threats to attack Israel after blaming it for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024, newly inaugurated Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian clashed with the IRGC who pushed for a direct strike on Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, while he himself advocated for targeting Israeli bases in neighboring countries to avoid escalating into full-scale war.
[26] On October 25, 2007, the United States labeled the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) as "terrorist organizations" with the Kyl–Lieberman Amendment.