Influence Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

1 influence

1.1 political
1.2 economic activity
1.3 analysis

influence
political

ayatollah khomeini urged country s military forces should remain unpoliticized. however, constitution, in article 150, defines irgc guardian of revolution , of achievements @ least partly political mission. original views have therefore been subject of debate. supporters of basiji have argued politicization, while reformists, moderates , hassan khomeini opposed it. president rafsanjani forced military professionalization , ideological deradicalization on irgc curb political role, pasdaran became natural allies of supreme leader ali khamenei when reformists threatened him. irgc grew stronger under president ahmedinejad, , assumed formal command of basiji militia in 2009.

although never explicitly endorsing or affiliating political parties, alliance of builders of islamic iran (or abadgaran), viewed political front revolutionary guards. many former members (including ahmadinejad) have joined party in recent years , revolutionary guards have reportedly given them financial support.

as elite group, members of pasdaran have influence in iran s political world. president ahmadinejad joined irgc in 1985, serving first in military operation in iraqi kurdistan before leaving front line take charge of logistics. majority of first cabinet consisted of irgc veterans. 1 third of members elected iran s majlis in 2004 pásdárán . others have been appointed ambassadors, mayors, provincial governors , senior bureaucrats. however, irgc veteran status not imply single viewpoint.

economic activity

irgc first expanded commercial activity through informal social networking of veterans , former officials. irgc officials confiscated assets of many refugees had fled iran after fall of abolhassan banisadr s government. vast conglomerate, controlling iran s missile batteries , nuclear program multibillion-dollar business empire reaching economic sectors. estimates have controlling between tenth , around third of iran s economy through series of subsidiaries , trusts.

the los angeles times estimates irgc has ties on 1 hundred companies, annual revenue exceeding $12 billion in business , construction. irgc has been awarded billions of dollars in contracts in oil, gas , petrochemical industries, major infrastructure projects.

the following commercial entities have been named united states owned or controlled irgc , leaders.

khatam al-anbia construction headquarters, irgc s major engineering arm & 1 of iran s largest contractors employing 25,000 engineers , staff on military (70%) , non-military (30%) projects worth on $7 billion in 2006.
oriental oil kish (oil , gas industry)
ghorb nooh
sahel consultant engineering
ghorb karbala
sepasad engineering co. (excavation , tunnel construction)
omran sahel
hara company (excavation , tunnel construction)
gharargahe sazandegi ghaem
imensazen consultant engineers institute (subsidiary of khatam al-anbia)
fater engineering institute (subsidiary of khatam al-anbia)

in september 2009, government of iran sold 51% of shares of telecommunication company of iran mobin trust consortium (etemad-e-mobin), group affiliated guards, sum of $7.8 billion. largest transaction on tehran stock exchange in history. irgc owns 45% participation in automotive bahman group , has majority stake in iran s naval giant sadra through khatam al-anbia.

the irgc exerts influence on bonyads, wealthy, non-governmental ostensibly charitable foundations controlled key clerics. pattern of revolutionary foundations mimics style of informal , extralegal economic networks time of shah. development started in 1990s, gathered pace on next decade, , accelerated more many lucrative no-bid contracts ahmadinejad presidency. irgc exerts informal, real, influence on many such organizations including:

mostazafan foundation (foundation of oppressed or mostazafan foundation)
bonyad shahid va omur-e janbazan (foundation of martyrs , veterans affairs)

analysis

mehdi khalaji of washington institute near east policy argues irgc spine of current political structure , major player in iranian economy. once theocratic state has evolved garrison state, burma, whereby military dominates social, cultural, political, , economic life, protecting government internal rather external opponents.

greg bruno , jayshree bajoria of council on foreign relations agree, stating irgc has expanded beyond mandate , socio-military-political-economic force penetrates iran s power structure. guards involvement in politics has grown unprecedented levels since 2004, when ircg won @ least 16 percent of 290 seats in islamic consultative assembly of iran. during elections of march 2008, irgc veterans won 182 out of 290 seats, helping mahmoud ahmadinejad consolidate power.

half of ahmadinejad’s cabinet composed of former irgc officers while several others appointed provincial governorships.

ali alfoneh of american enterprise institute contends while presence of former irgc officers in cabinet not new phenomenon, numbers under ahmadinejad—they occupy 9 of twenty-one ministry portfolios—are unprecedented. additionally, ahmadinejad purged provincial governorships of rafsanjani , khatami supporters , replaced them not irgc members, members of basij , islamic republic prison administration.

the irgc chief, general mohammad ali ja’fari, announced guards’ go through internal restructuring in order counter internal threats islamic republic. bruce riedel, senior fellow @ brookings institution , former cia analyst, argues guards created protect government against possible coup.

since disputed 2009 presidential elections, debate on how powerful irgc has reemerged. danielle pletka , ali alfoneh see irreversible militarization of iran s government. abbas milani, director of iranian studies @ stanford university, believes guards’ power exceeds of supreme leader ayatollah khamenei. frederic wehrey, adjunct senior fellow @ rand corporation believes revolutionary guards not cohesive unit of similar-minded conservatives rather factionalized institution hardly bent on overthrowing masters.