Pro-Government Militias
Revolutionary Guard (Iran)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 241 |
| Country: | Iran |
| Date formed: | Feb. 1, 1979 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | month |
| Details of Formation: | The revolutionary guards were created after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 by Ayatollah Khomeyni. They were founded to protect the principles of the revolution by assisting the clerics to enforce the new Islamic law. (Wikipedia) |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The group is not terminated. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; self-maintained; drugs; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | nationwide |
| Force Strength: | [150000, 250000] |
| Target(s): | criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; regular military force; religious group; journalists |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; protect state, national or religious leader(s); protect national borders and integrity; destabilise neighbouring countries |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Other name Pasdaran. In 2011, The Gazette (Montreal) reports that the group's loyalty primarily goes towards the Ayatollah while they maintain distance from president Ahmadinejad: "Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia have distanced themselves from Ahmadinejad and remain fiercely loyal to Khamenei." The Revolutionary Guard was initially created as an non-political organization which is why President Rafsanjani and other reformists tried to curbed its political role. In this situation, the group became allies with Supreme Leader Khamenei when reformists threatened his position. In 2009, there was a bombing allegedly carried out by Pakistan where several top commanders of the Revolutionary Guard were killed. Further, members of the group were killed in operations abroad. (Wikipedia) |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | After the Islamic Revolution the new government feared possible opposition by the regular army as they were traditionally loyal to the Shah. Hence, they created the Revolutionary Guards to consolidate the paramilitary forces. In addition to protecting the Islamic principles in Iran, the group also wants to spread its ideology abroad. (Wikipedia) |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | local presence; coup-proofing |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia represses political dissidents. With its violent behavior towards internal threats such as political opposition or criminals, it contributes to the escalation of violence (Wikipedia). |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Sources (see PGMD sources from 1985 and 2007) report that the commanders of the group are deeply ideological. In addition, membership can help ease applications for jobs in public administration and university enrollment. |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: | Shortly after formation, the group had about 60,000 members. They have expanded to an organization that has about 250,000 military personnel including air and naval forces. (Wikipedia) |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Militia members are heavily armed with rifles and pistols. The members also receive training in how to use these weapons. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia is fully institutionalized with its own ministry that directly reports to the Supreme Leader. Its structure is very similar to the regular army because it was intended to counter the army’s influence and power. Since 2008, the group is made up of 31 divisions that are spread across the whole country. The Quds Force is a subdivision of the Revolutionary Guard and also conducts operations in other countries. In addition, the Basij Militia (another PGM) is subordinate to the Revolutionary Guards. President Rafsanjani tried to merge army and Revolutionary Guards after Khomeyni’s death; however, this plan was met with resistance from commanders. (Wikipedia, al-Husna 2016: 145) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.