When headlines mention missile launches or regional tensions amid the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict, one name keeps surfacing: the IRGC. To many outside Iran, it sounds like just another branch of the military.
But it is far more than that.
In Iran, there are two major armed forces. One is the regular army, known as the Artesh. The other is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, created in the aftermath of the 1979 Iran revolution.
They wear different uniforms, answer to different chains of command, and serve different purposes.
To understand why, you have to return to 1979.
BORN FROM REVOLUTION
When the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown, Iran’s new leaders did not fully trust the existing military. The regular army had served the monarchy. Its officers had trained with Western allies. In a fragile moment, loyalty mattered more than tradition.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his allies wanted a force committed not just to defending borders, but to defending the revolution itself.
So the IRGC was formed. At first, it was a small ideological guard. Then came the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. The conflict hardened the organisation, expanded its ranks and turned it into a central pillar of the new Islamic Republic.
TWO FORCES, TWO MISSIONS
Iran’s regular army still exists. The Artesh operates much like conventional forces elsewhere. It protects Iran’s land, airspace and waters. Its role is national defence in the classic sense.
The IRGC’s mission is broader. It is tasked with safeguarding the Islamic system. It oversees Iran’s ballistic missile programme. It controls the Quds Force, which manages operations beyond Iran’s borders. It also commands the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary network active inside the country.
Crucially, the IRGC reports directly to the Supreme Leader, which was Ali Khamenei till his recent death in the Iran-US-Israel conflict. The president does not command it in the same way leaders in many other countries control their armed forces.
Over time, the IRGC has also expanded into the economy, holding interests in construction, energy and infrastructure. Its influence stretches well beyond military bases.
WHY IT MATTERS TODAY
In moments of regional strain, the IRGC often takes centre stage. Whether through missile tests, naval patrols in the Gulf, or support for allied groups abroad, it shapes Iran’s posture in the Middle East.
The regular army guards the state. The IRGC guards the revolution.
That distinction explains why Iran’s military structure looks unusual to outsiders. It is not a duplication by accident. It is the product of fear, war and ideology forged in 1979.
Understanding that layered system makes current events easier to read. Behind many of Iran’s boldest moves stands not just a national army, but a force built to defend an idea as much as a territory.
