At the centre of Iran's establishment sits a shadowy organisation responsible for defending the ideals of the revolution. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (irgc) is a paramilitary force rolled into an intelligence agency wrapped in a giant business conglomerate with security-related interests. It is directly controlled by the country's supreme leader, Mr Khamenei, who is chosen by regime insiders for life and outranks the elected president. Many guard commanders eventually end up in senior government posts, but they exert political influence long before then. Their baseej militia, made up of tens of thousands of youth volunteers, helps to keep domestic order. Baton-wielding militiamen dispersed protesters in 2009. In social clubs across the country they are moulded into conservative storm troopers. Their national snooping hotline is advertised on billboards: call 114. The guards are dedicated to a strong Iran, both at home and abroad. The means by which they pursue their goals are often unconventional, including the funding of terror groups and the exploitation of sectarian tensions, all in the name of revolutionary change for the benefit of the downtrodden. The real aim, though, is to ensure stability at home and win greater influence vis-a-vis America and its allies abroad. The Quds Force, a special-operations unit, fights on Iran's behalf outside the country. Aiding the government of Syria, a long-time client, it is taking part in a civil war that has so far killed 200,000 people. The guards also sponsor Hamas and Hizbullah, the missile-toting tormentors of Israel. A decade ago the Quds Force supplied weapons to Iraqi insurgents bent on killing American soldiers. More recently it has allegedly nurtured rebels in Bahrain and Yemen.
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