The Iranian Revolutionary Guards taking part in a military exercise in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran on February 16, 2026.Image: EPA
On February 28, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in American-Israeli strikes. He was the head of the Revolutionary Guard, an organization classified as terrorist by the West.
March 3, 2026, 8:53 p.mMarch 3, 2026, 8:53 p.m
Since coming to power in 1989, Ali Khamenei was Iran’s supreme leader until his death on Saturday, February 28. He was killed in American-Israeli airstrikes, which subsequently triggered a new wave of violence in the Gulf states.
Under his command was the powerful Revolutionary Guard, founded in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to preserve the new Islamic regime. As a “state within a state,” the Pasdaran (“Guardians” in Farsi) are considered an elite force that emphasizes that they are prepared to do anything for their leader; even more than for her own life. But who are these men really?
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200,000 men
Mohammad Pakpour has led the Revolutionary Guard since June 2025. The geographer, born in Iraq in 1961, succeeded Hossein Salami, who died in the 12-day conflict with Israel. On February 28, Tsahal reported that Pakpour was involved in airstrikes other top Iranian officials were killed.
The Revolutionary Guard has a total of around 200,000 men. With land, sea and air forces, they are better trained and paid than the regular army. Their budget is between $6 billion and $9 billion a year – around 40% of the official military budget – giving them control over the Iranian economy.
But that’s not all: the Pasdaran also run companies in Iran’s key strategic sectors – from transport to gas, oil and technology to banking. This effectively gives them a monopoly position.
Finally, the Pasdaran have established the Iranian regime’s most extensive and effective intelligence network. The result: You quickly recognize the leaders of protests and can destroy movements within a very short time. Their paramilitary militia primarily recruits young people – 600,000 to 900,000 members are active in all levels of society.
Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at a rally in Tehran 2025.Image: www.imago-images.de
Strong repression
The forces considered the “armed wing of the regime” are accused of orchestrating the deadly suppression of the major protest movement in January. According to an unofficial tally shared by two senior Health Ministry officials with Time magazine, 30,000 protesters were said to have been killed. The NGO Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has verified 6,126 deaths. A further 17,091 deaths are still being reviewed.
“The Revolutionary Guards play a central role in the repression and are now, more than ever, the mainstay for the continued existence and survival of the Iranian regime.”
In 2019, the US classified the Pasdaran as a terrorist organization. In January 2026, the European Union followed this step.