Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also called the IRGC, Sepah or the Pasdaran, is a multi-service military force of Iran and one of the country's two military forces, alongside the regular Islamic Republic of Iran Army. It was established by Ruhollah Khomeini as a military branch in May 1979, after the Iranian Revolution, and answers to the supreme leader through a commander-in-chief. It has five service branches: Ground Forces, Aerospace Force, Navy, Quds Force and the Basij volunteer militia. Its relevance to spaceflight lies in the Aerospace Force, which is responsible for Iran's ballistic missile program and is described as acting as the country's space force. Renamed from the IRGC Air Force in 2009, that branch is the strategic missile, air and space arm of the Corps. The IRGC is also a large presence in Iranian politics and the economy, and several governments designate it a terrorist organization. This entry covers the Corps as an organization behind military space activity.