Iran’s Deadly IRGC Showing Cracks After Protests

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been labeled a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the U.S. State Department, is facing signs of internal dissent due to the ongoing protests by Iranian citizens. The IRGC was established in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution and has been notorious for its brutal repression of protests against the Iranian government. However, at a meeting between the IRGC and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on January 3, it was revealed that some IRGC forces had actually aided protesters against the government, and one member had even targeted Khameini’s residence with artillery.

Some commanders have reportedly stated that the majority of forces under their supervision have refused to take a stand against Iranian citizens and have rejected orders to shoot at protesters. It appears that the morale of the IRGC forces has been declining, and there have been instances of armed forces providing aid to civilians, according to Deputy Commander of the IRGC force in Alborz, Ehsan Khorshidi.

In addition, roughly 5,000 members of the Basij paramilitary, which is a part of the IRGC, have exited the organization, as acknowledged by its commander in charge of paramilitary Basij seminary students, Mahmoud Mohammadi Shahroudi. It is worth noting that when the U.S. designated IRGC as a terrorist group in 2019, it was the first time that the military branch of a foreign country had been categorized as such. This was due to its role in implementing Iran’s international program of destabilizing activities, as well as support for acts of international terrorism and ballistic missile program.

Lastly, it is worth noting that Iran’s Ground Forces, Aerospace Forces, Navy, and the Basij paramilitary are all part of the IRGC, and the Revolutionary Guard is estimated to have 150,000 active members. The Basij alone is estimated at 90,000 active members, 300,000 reservists, and one million men who could be mobilized, according to a Western think tank.

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