If You're Listening Who is Trump really fighting in Iran?
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Mar 11, 2026 A deep dive into how the IRGC grew from a revolutionary militia into a political, economic and social powerhouse. Stories from the Iran–Iraq War that shaped its mythology. Explanations of how the group controls business, politics and institutions to block reform. A look at why simple decapitation strategies would miss the tangled structures holding the system together.
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US and Israel Are Targeting The IRGC Not Just Iran
- The US and Israel targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rather than Iran's regular military, focusing on an organisation embedded across society.
- Matt Bevan describes the IRGC as an army, navy, air force, spy agency and corporate giant all rolled into one, making it a unique target.
Iran–Iraq War Built The IRGC's Legitimacy
- The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) forged the IRGC into a core regime institution by positioning it as defender of the revolution.
- The conflict's scale and propaganda created a mythology that tied the IRGC's legitimacy to national survival.
IRGC Wrote Iran's Modern History Through War Archives
- The IRGC deliberately documented the war to write modern Iranian history and cement its place in the state.
- It created a War History Department early in the war and produced a 60-volume chronology called the Sacred Defence.