The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has extended its influence into vast economic sectors, controlling everything from construction to agriculture, often bypassing formal regulations and generating revenue through black-market activities.
These economic practices enable the regime to bolster its legitimacy, support the military, and suppress opposition, all while maintaining control over vital resources such as food and water.
[3] To preempt a coup that could cost him and his family their lives, dictators suppress dissent, outlaw political competition, heavily restrict freedom of expression, and ban all criticism of the government.
[14] In Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has developed from a purely military entity into a vast business conglomerate, controlling numerous sectors within the Iranian economy.
The report attributes the IRGC's rise to a combination of informal social networks, state-sanctioned monopolistic practices, and its exploitation of Iran's geopolitical and economic circumstances.
The IRGC has capitalized on various post-revolutionary factors, including wartime reconstruction, to expand its business activities across sectors such as oil, construction, engineering, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Ahmadinejad's government granted numerous no-bid contracts to IRGC-linked companies, particularly in critical sectors like oil extraction and pipeline construction, effectively creating a protected monopoly for the organization.
Through these bonyads, the IRGC maintains influence over many sectors of Iran's economy, solidifying its power and securing revenue streams that often bypass public oversight and accountability.
Khatam al-Anbia, with its vast resources and thousands of employees, controls significant infrastructure projects, including the construction of pipelines, roads, dams, and urban transportation networks.
These projects not only provide lucrative financial returns for the IRGC but also reinforce its social influence by generating employment in rural areas and aligning its operations with broader development goals.
Accusations from reformist political figures, such as Mehdi Karrubi, claim that the IRGC operates numerous unofficial ports, or "invisible jetties," where it facilitates the import and export of contraband.
Nevertheless, the IRGC's vast business empire and monopolistic practices have sparked criticism and concerns about its unchecked power, especially as it shifts closer to a political counterforce within the state.
For instance, the IRGC's interference in the management of the Imam Khomeini Airport, when it forced out a Turkish contractor to take control of operations, highlights its willingness to leverage economic power for political gain.
[15][16] As sanctions restrict Iran's access to international markets, the IRGC, with its extensive control over smuggling networks and black-market operations, is poised to dominate the economy further.
[17] Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is significantly expanding its economic influence in Syria through a series of strategic agreements with the Assad regime.
Reports also indicate that certain agricultural and industrial enterprises with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have received significant amounts of water, while small farmers and rural communities struggle with severe shortages.
[23] Iran's water policy is also characterized by an overreliance on dam construction and large-scale diversion projects, primarily benefiting politically connected enterprises and urban elites.
Through its engineering arm, Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters (GHORB), the IRGC has become one of the largest contractors in Iran, securing significant government projects, including those related to agriculture and water management.
The IRGC uses its influence to manage critical supply chains, including food, which allows it to stabilize and control internal markets, particularly in times of crisis or under sanctions.
The IRGC's Chief Commander stated that their forces had entered agriculture to promote self-sufficiency, prioritizing using local technologies and products over foreign alternatives ("Top General Praises Iran's Self Sufficiency - Tehran Times," 2021).
Through its construction and engineering arm, Khatam al-Anbiya, the IRGC manages and develops large-scale agricultural and irrigation projects, giving it control over crucial aspects of food production.
For example, the IRGC's involvement in border controls and critical transportation hubs, such as airports, allows it to bypass customs regulations, importing goods illicitly to maintain its economic advantage.
[29] These activities highlight the IRGC's transition from a military and security body to a comprehensive socio-economic entity within Iran, wielding significant power over critical resources, including the food supply chain.
[34] The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a prominent military and political force in Iran, has leveraged the cryptocurrency market as a tool for evading international sanctions, generating funds, and conducting covert financial operations.
[35][36] International sanctions, especially from the United States, have significantly limited Iran's access to global financial markets, pushing state-linked entities such as the IRGC to explore alternative channels for transactions.
In 2022, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Iranian individuals, Amir Hossein Nikaeen Ravari and Ahmad Khatibi Aghada, both linked to the IRGC.
Iran's energy-intensive mining activities offer high revenue potential, particularly given the country's vast energy resources, making it an attractive target for groups with close ties to the government.