Webcast: Qassem Soleimani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards
Narges Bajoghli on Why the General's Death Won't Have Major Consequences
On January 3, a U.S. airstrike killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Quds Force, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Much more than just a military organization, the IRGC permeate many aspects of Iranian life. In this webcast, we were joined by Prof. Narges Bajoghli, who conducted ethnographic research with the Revolutionary Guards and their media teams during ten years in Iran, gaining an in-depth understanding on how they are organised to exert power and influence in the name of the Islamic Republic. She discusses her experience of working together with the media teams of the Revolutionary Guards, their historical background and influence as well as Iran's challenges to address generation dynamics.
Our key takeaways
To understand the structure and tactics of the Revolutionary Guards, it is important to understand the role of Iran’s revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88. Created to defend the Revolution against possible coups by the army, the war with Iraq shaped the culture and leadership ethos of the Revolutionary Guards who saw themselves facing Iraqi military, supported by the U.S. and the West.
The IRGC do not only have military power but are a major political and economic force in Iran, with close ties to Iran’s Supreme Leader and other senior officials. They are active in infrastructure projects, food, transportation and even cultural and educational activities, controlling among others Iran’s engineering firm Khatam al-Anbia.
Qassam Soleimani’s death has not weakened the role of the Revolutionary Guards due to the way the guards are structured, take decisions and operate. While he was undoubtedly important for the IRGC, his prominence both in Iran and abroad stemmed partially from the fact that he was stylized as a hero by the IRGC after the 2009 Green Movement which presented a challenge to Iran's leadership.
Iran’s Islamic State and the Revolutionary Guards must address major generation dynamics. The IRGC is not as monolithic as it's often portrayed, says Barjoghli. Also, within the guards, there is a generational split, with some young members of paramilitary organizations, such as the Basji, not having experienced Iran’s revolution being more conservative and loyal to the Supreme Leader than first generation members.
Narges Bajoghli, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, is an award-winning anthropologist, filmmaker, and writer. Her research focuses on pro-regime cultural producers in Iran, and is based on ethnographic research with Basij, Ansar-e Hezbollah, and Revolutionary Guard media producers in Iran. The resulting book, Iran Reframed: Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic was published in 2019. In addition to her academic writing, she has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Al Monitor, Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), The Huffington Post, and LobeLog. She has also appeared as a guest commentator on Iranian politics on DemocracyNow!, NPR, BBC WorldService, BBC NewsHour, and PBS NewsHour.