The focus on Monday shifted to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also called the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, after the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the attack on a port in Oman was "not our choice". He further stated that Iran's forces are isolated and acting independently, hinting that the government might not have complete control over them.
"As a matter of fact, our military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated, and they are acting based on instructions - you know, general instructions - given to them in advance," the Iranian foreign minister told Al Jazeera in an interview on Sunday.
What is IRGC?
Araghchi's remarks have brought back the focus on the IRGC, which was established by Iran's first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution that ended the rule of the Shah in the Middle East nation. The IRGC was formed from multiple paramilitary groups that aim to safeguard the Islamic system in Iran.
During the Persian Gulf War (or the Iran-Iraq war), the IRGC's power was further consolidated. Once late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came to power, its power further increased, and it started dominating the military structure of Iran. Various media reports suggest that the IRGC, which has its own ground forces, air force, and navy, has active personnel somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000.
The IRGC's dominance in Iran
To continue its dominance in Iran, the IRGC formed the Quds Force, which is its elite expeditionary force. The Quds Force mainly conducts its operations abroad and has supported groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. For this, it was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US in 1979.
The IRGC also has the Basij force, which is like a police organisation responsible for controlling the internal affairs of Iran. The Basij force also ensures that all Islamic moral codes are followed in the country. According to the Institute for the Study of War, it has around 450,000 personnel.
Analysts believe that the IRGC has the real power in Iran, and it would unlikely comply with what President Donald Trump or Israel wants. They fear that Khamenei's killing could even help the IRGC expand its control in Iran.
"Everything that they are saying right now... is that they intend to escalate this and essentially turn the region into an all-out war, causing as much pain not only to the United States but also against the Gulf countries in the region," Michael Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defence (DASD) for the Middle East, told Al Jazeera.
