War on Iran: How the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps underpins the republic

War on Iran: How the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps underpins the republic Submitted by Daniel Tester on Thu, 09/17/2026 - 13:07 The IRGC has been core to Tehran's influence at home and abroad, not least through Quds Force Members of the IRGC stand in formation during a "Sacred Defence Week" parade in Tehran in September 2019 (AFP/Iranian presidency handout) On Often called a state within a state, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a deeply conservative organisation that has underpinned Iran’ s esta