How powerful is Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, labelled terrorist group by Europe?

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has evolved into one of the most influential institutions within the country’s theocratic system, reporting directly to the supreme leader and controlling Iran’s ballistic missile programme while also carrying out operations beyond its borders.

The organisation drew renewed attention on Thursday after the European Union moved to designate it as a terrorist group over its role in the violent suppression of nationwide protests in Iran earlier this month.

Here is an overview of the Guard

Roots in the 1979 revolution

The Guard emerged from Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as a body tasked with safeguarding the Shiite cleric-led state and was later written into the constitution. Operating alongside the regular military, it steadily gained influence during the prolonged and devastating Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.

Although it faced the prospect of being dissolved after the conflict, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorised it to branch into the private sector, a move that enabled the force to expand and prosper.

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Today, the Guard controls the vast Khatam al-Anbia construction conglomerate and is involved in projects ranging from road building and port management to telecommunications and even laser eye surgery services.

Foreign operations central to its mission

The Guard’s overseas arm, the Quds Force, played a major role in shaping what Iran calls the “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States.

It supported Syria’s former president Bashar Assad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and other allied groups, particularly after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq increased Tehran’s regional influence.

According to US officials, the Guard trained Iraqi fighters to build and deploy highly lethal roadside bombs used against American troops.

The Quds Force, along with Iranian intelligence agencies, is also suspected of recruiting criminal networks to pursue dissidents and perceived enemies abroad.

Since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict began, Israel has detained citizens accused of acting on Iranian instructions to monitor sites or carry out acts of vandalism, allegations Tehran has denied. The Guard is also widely believed to play a significant role in smuggling networks across West Asia.

Intelligence role and foreign detentions

The Guard maintains its own intelligence wing, which has been linked to the arrest and conviction of dual nationals and individuals with Western connections on espionage charges, often in closed-door trials.

Western governments have accused Iran of using such detainees as leverage in diplomatic negotiations, especially those related to its nuclear programme.

Conflict with Israel increases pressure

The Guard’s long-standing “Axis of Resistance” has come under its most severe strain since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza.

Hamas, backed by Iran, remains under Israeli assault, while Israel has also struck other Iran-aligned groups, severely weakening Hezbollah and repeatedly hitting Houthi targets in Yemen.

In Syria, the fall of Assad’s government in December 2024 deprived Tehran and the Guard of a crucial ally. Israel and Iran have since exchanged missile strikes, operations overseen by the Guard.

In June, Israel carried out a large-scale air campaign against Iran. On the first day alone, senior Guard commanders were killed, disrupting its leadership. The strikes also wiped out ballistic missile facilities, launch sites and air defence systems operated by the Guard.

Role in suppressing protests

Domestically, one of the main tools used by Iran’s ruling system to quell unrest is the Basij, a volunteer force under the Guard’s control.

Footage from protests that erupted on December 28 shows Basij members armed with rifles, batons and pellet guns. They have been seen assaulting demonstrators and pursuing them through city streets.

A prominent Basij commander even appeared on state television urging parents to keep their children indoors while calling on members to mobilise to crush the protests.

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With inputs from AP