The Revolutionary Guard is Iran’s most powerful security and military institution and holds sway over key economic and political affairs.

It was first established following the Islamic revolution in 1979 to protect the new republic and enforce its ideological tenets. The Revolutionary Guard soon became indispensable in helping fight the Iran-Iraq War, and its role in the country’s postwar reconstruction catapulted it into the political and economic spheres.

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Now, as a force loyal to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC wields unparalleled influence and power in Iran. Its economic might spans the construction, automotive, telecommunications and energy industries. And its presence reaches into nearly every sector of Iranian society, through art, media, policing, cyber activities and disaster relief.

The IRGC is separate from Iran’s conventional armed forces and commands its own air, land and naval units, as well as a network of domestic paramilitaries known as the Basij. Across the Middle East, its external special operations arm, known as the Quds Force, has helped build the Guard’s authority through proxy forces in places such as Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has tried to limit the organization’s involvement in the country’s economy, but with little success.

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But what, specifically, has the IRGC actually allegedly done? According to American and European authorities, the answer is that it has been used to “sow violent discord around the world for decades.” For example: