The IRGC: Iran’s Real Power - Military, Money, and Control

To understand how power works in Iran, you have to look beyond the government.You have to look at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.Created after the 1979 revolution, its purpose was not to defend the country. It was to defend the system.Today, it operates across multiple layers: internal security, regional operations, and a vast economic network spanning construction, energy, telecommunications, and infrastructure.Estimates suggest the IRGC controls or influences tens of billions of dollars in economic activity, with some placing that number well over $100 billion.Ownership on paper may be distributed across state companies, religious foundations, and private firms.But control is concentrated.Those closest to the system benefit most.And that structure shapes how power and money flow throughout the country.This is not just a military force.It is a core pillar of the system.