Main content

How Powerful is Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard?

President Trump has announced further sanctions on Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard for supporting terrorism. Who are they and what is their role in the Middle East?

The growth and reach of a group labelled a 鈥榯error force鈥� by President Trump. On 13 October President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran鈥檚 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp for supporting terrorism. But what is the Revolutionary Guard and what is its role in Iran and the Middle East?

The group started as an army to protect the values of the Iranian revolution of 1979, but their role in fighting a long and brutal war with Iraq strengthened their military clout considerably. Today their forces work beyond their borders and have played a key role in the fight against so-called Islamic State. But they are no longer just an army, they run construction projects, run most of the telecommunications industry and even have a news agency. So how powerful is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?

Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Phoebe Keane and Jo Casserly

(Photo: Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard special forces participating in military manoeuvers. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Mon 6 Nov 2017 07:06GMT
麻豆社 World Service East Asia

More episodes

Previous

How Do You End A Civil War?

Next

Is the Knowledge Factory Broken?

See all episodes from The Inquiry

Clip

Broadcasts

  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 00:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 03:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 04:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service South Asia & East Asia only
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 07:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia & East and Southern Africa only
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 08:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Europe and the Middle East
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 15:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 18:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 2 Nov 2017 23:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia, Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Mon 6 Nov 2017 04:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia
  • Mon 6 Nov 2017 06:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service South Asia
  • Mon 6 Nov 2017 07:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East Asia

Podcast

  • The Inquiry

    The Inquiry explores the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world